Weather dampens Wright's seven first innings wickets

DAY THREE | Leicestershire CCC 421 & 125 for three v Gloucestershire CCC 275

SCORECARD | Available HERE

REPORT | Chris Wright claims seven first innings wickets as Gloucestershire avoid the follow on by just four runs.

Day three got underway in Bristol with the Running Foxes looking to build on their two-day dominance which saw the hosts end day two on 176 for six.

The stubborn partnership of George Hankins and Tom Smith had already put on a stand of 54 in the latter moments of the second day, as they strode out to the middle to retake their place at the crease.

Chris Wright, who already had four wickets to his name, opened the bowling for County and made the early breakthrough that the Running Foxes would have been keen to make.

The wicket was Hankins (37), as the Leicestershire man claimed his five-fer with figures of 16.1-7-34-5 as he pinned the batsman infront for his fourth lbw of the innings.

The seventh wicket stand for Gloucestershire was worth it’s weight in gold as the remaining batting order would feel the target of 271 to avoid the follow-on was much more achievable.

The hosts were 194 for seven as Dan Worrall joined Smith (25*) in the middle.

County were looking for a quick-one two and rotated the bowling with Ben Mike and Callum Parkinson being introduced following the good early work put in from Wright and Alex Evans.

The duo of Smith and Worrall were looking to quell the bowling attack, with their focus being to steadily build the runs.

The spin option of Parkinson finally unravelled the partnership, as he enticed Worrall into the shot after turning one away from the off-stump and found the inside edge of the batsman who chopped on for 11.

Josh Shaw was next to join Smith (32*) in the middle with Gloucestershire on 215 for eight.

Only five overs into the ninth wicket partnership and the elements came to the hosts rescue as the players were removed from the field of play as the rain began in Bristol.

The rain began at 12:39 which prompted an early lunch to be called at 12:50. Inspections took place following the conclusion of the lunch break but with the rain still falling at the Bristol County Ground, the players were kept off the pitch until the weather subsided at 14:15.

With the batting line-up proving stubborn on day three, and now with the rain interrupting play, Leicestershire were fully aware that the momentum could possibly be swinging away from their favour.

With Smith (41*) and Shaw (16*) now back in the middle, Wright was back into the Leicestershire attack.

The ninth wicket partnership put on an invaluable 58-run partnership which ended with Gloucestershire on 273, as the hosts had now successfully avoided the follow on.

Smith was the man to go, as Wright claimed his sixth wicket of the innings, after he angled a delivery back into the batsman and struck him on the pads for a patient 130-ball 47.

Only nine deliveries separated the ninth and tenth wickets as Wright rounded off the hosts innings after pinning Dom Goodman infront for a three-ball duck.

As the Gloucestershire first innings came to an end, Leicestershire lead by 146 as Hassan Azad and Sam Evans emerged to open the second innings, the question being, how much of a lead will the Running Foxes want before their declaration.

The first wicket stand for County lasted 38 runs before Evans (22) edged a Ryan Higgins delivery through to George Hankins at second slip.

Marcus Harris joined Azad (8*) in the middle as the duo saw themselves through to tea with Leicestershire on 54 for one.

The teams did not emerge for the final session of the day until 16:55, though, due to another downpour in Bristol. Consequently, seven overs were lost from the days play.

With seven overs of the final session played, Gloucestershire took two quick County wickets as Harris (23) chopped on from Shaw’s delivery, followed by Higgins claiming his second of the innings as Azad (24) feathered one through to Bracey.

Leicestershire were 77 for three as Rishi Patel and Lewis Hill occupied the crease.

The duo then began scoring at good rate to increase in order to further the Running Foxes’ lead, however, they were halted due to bad light with eight overs remaining in the day.

Thirteen minutes after play was halted due to bad light, the third day came to a premature end as Leicestershire were looking to extend their lead as much as possible.

Patel (24*) and Hill (22*) remained at the crease as the Running Foxes ended the third day on 123 for three, leading by 271 runs.

FIGURES (1st inns) | Wright 24.2-8-53-7, Evans 17-2-58-0, Klein 8.5-1-40-1, Mike 14-3-56-0, Parkinson 14.1-3-49-2

FIGURES (2nd inns) | Worrall 11-5-31-0, Higgins 11-2-28-2, Goodman 9-0-29-0, Shaw 7-0-27-1

TEAM | Hassan Azad, Sam Evans, Marcus Harris, Rishi Patel, Lewis Hill, Harry Swindells (wk), Ben Mike, Callum Parkinson (C), Chris Wright, Dieter Klein, Alex Evans

GLOUCESTERSHIRE CCC | Chris Dent (C), Kraigg Brathwaite, James Bracey (wk), Tom Lace, Ian Cockbain, Ryan Higgins, George Hankins, Tom Smith, Dan Worrall, Josh Shaw, Dom Goodman

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