Visitors set Running Foxes a testing first innings total

DAY TWO | Hampshire CCC 612 for 5d v Leicestershire 151 for four

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REPORT | James Vince posted his third double-century of his career as Hampshire set Leicestershire a mammoth first innings score of 612 for five declared.

Colin Ackermann and Harry Swindells ended the day in the middle for the Running Foxes as they both stood resolute against the visitors' bowling attack.

Day two at the Uptonsteel County Ground got underway 45-minutes later than originally scheduled thanks to a light spattering of rain minutes before the 11:00am start.

James Vince and Liam Dawson picked up where they left off on day one as the Running Foxes didn’t manage to claim the fifth wicket in the first, truncated session of the day.

Vince put on an extra 53 runs in the shortened first session, which also saw him surpass the 200-run mark from 195 balls – maintaining his 100+ strike rate.

Teammate Dawson added an extra 30 runs to his total as Hampshire headed into the lunch break on 514 for four.

The afternoon session lasted less than an hour for Hampshire and brought the hard-earned wicket of James Vince.

Callum Parkinson was the man to claim the scalp after the batsman looped one up for Harry Swindells to take the simple catch behind. Vince departed for an extraordinary 231 off 220 balls, including 36 fours and two sixes.

In came Lewis McManus to replace his skipper and partner Dawson who had recently reached his first century of the season from 121 balls.

Dawson and McManus then lasted for 28 balls before Hampshire’s declaration, and put on an explosive sixth wicket stand of 67 runs.

The former was the main benefactor of those 67 runs as he brought up his 150 only five overs after bringing up his century.

As the over count hit 120, the visitors decided that they were happy with their first innings total to declare on a mammoth 612 for five.

Hassan Azad and Sam Evans combined to form the first opening partnership of the 2021 campaign, as the Running Foxes began their reply.

Azad got his season up and running with his first boundary of the year coming from his first ball faced, delivered by former-Fox Mohammad Abbas. The partnership then began their journey of chipping away at the target set by Hampshire.

Abbas was partnered by Kyle Abbott upfront who did not wait long for his first wicket of the season, as Sam Evans was pinned infront for 3. Leicestershire were 15 for one after six overs as Harry Dearden joined Azad in the middle.

The duo held off the Hampshire attack with minimal threat to see the Running Foxes through to the final interval of the day on 45 for one, with Azad on 25 and Dearden on 16.

It took just under three overs after tea, though, for Hampshire to dismiss Azad as Abbott found the edge and Dawson was on his toes at second slip to take the catch, albeit at the second time of asking.

Skipper Colin Ackermann joined Dearden at the crease with Leicestershire on 49 for two and got off to a great start by driving Abbott straight back down the ground for four from his first ball.

Ackermann though, acknowledged that Dearden was seeing and playing it well and was happy to anchor his partner.

Dearden pushed on with a number of multiple boundary overs, but eventually, fell into the trap laid by Brad Wheal who enticed the shot and gladly saw wicketkeeper Lewis McManus grab the feather, and Dearden departed for 42.

Dearden was replaced by Lewis Hill who survived just four deliveries before Mohammad Abbas found his edge and similarly to Wheal, gladly watched ‘keeper McManus take the catch.

The Running Foxes quickly found themselves four wickets down for 84 runs as Harry Swindells joined his captain in the middle.

Swindells and Ackermann then brought up the Leicestershire ton, after a brief break in play as the rain returned.

The duo then patiently built on their partnership as it surpassed the 50-run mark from 114 balls with Swindells’ fourth four ball of the day.

Stumps then came three balls early at the 7:00pm cut-off with Ackermann (36*) and Swindells (39*) standing unmoved at the crease, proving a tough test for the Hampshire attack. The second day came to an end with Leicestershire sitting in 151 for four.

FIGURES (1st inns) | Wright 26-5-111-2, Evans 26-1-98-1, Griffiths 18-2-92-1, Mike 15-1-82-0, Parkinson 26-3-155-1, Ackermann 9-0-55-0

Abbas 12-7-17-1, Abbott 11-5-15-3, Holland 10-3-35-0, Wheal 6-2-22-1, Dawson 11.3-4-23-0, Crane 10-1-38-0

TEAM | Hassan Azad, Sam Evans, Harry Dearden, Colin Ackermann (C), Lewis Hill, Harry Swindells (wk), Ben Mike, Callum Parkinson, Chris Wright, Gavin Griffiths, Alex Evans.

HAMPSHIRE CCC | Joe Weatherley, Ian Holland, Tom Alsop, Sam Northeast, James Vince (C), Liam Dawson, Lewis McManus (wk), Kyle Abbott, Mason Crane, Brad Wheal, Mohammad Abbas.

IMAGES | Thanks to John Mallett of Outside Off for providing the images throughout the game.

MATCH SPONSOR | Thanks to Uptonsteel for being our match sponsor.