White-hot County take control at Northants
Sun 23 Aug 2015
* An interview with Wayne White by BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae is available HERE
Wayne White and Clint McKay followed up their vital batting contributions by doing a tremendous job with the ball as Leicestershire seized control of the intriguing LV=CC encounter at Wantage Road.
Northamptonshire started their second innings 47 in arrears with usual opener Rob Newton (fractured thumb) and Steven Crook (ankle) struggling with injuries.
But Leicestershire were also badly hampered as Ben Raine was unable to bowl after hurting himself in the field during the first innings while Charlie Shreck pulled up after 6.2 overs this morning.
Despite losing two bowlers who have claimed 106 Championship wickets between them this term - and seeing 29 overs wiped out due to rain - White (21-4-51-5) and McKay (21-9-35-2) bowled their hearts out.
Northants struggled to 162-8 by stumps thanks in large to Richard Levi’s unbeaten 54, so their lead stands at 115 with Crook not expected to bat tomorrow.
White said: “I felt like I owed the side quite a lot after the first dig but I knew I could come back and do a job. It was hard work out there but I pride myself on those days, coming in and crashing the wicket hard and stuff went to hand.
“I went away from what I’m good at in the first innings, trying to bowl tight like the other lads, but here I just ran in and hit the wicket, attacked the crease and made things happen. It was the perfect wicket for me and it was a good day in the end.
“It was a little bit up and down but the ones that went away from the bat they nicked and we made things happen that way."
McKay, the third member of Leicestershire’s 50-wicket club this season, chiselled an opening with two early breakthroughs on the third morning.
The Australian’s second over of the morning probed away around the off stump of Ben Duckett (5) and he found an outside edge with the fifth delivery that Niall O’Brien snapped up.
A second wicket arrived after half an hour with another excellent McKay delivery taking out the off stump of first innings centurion Alex Wakely (2).
David Murphy, opening the batting in place of Newton, and Rob Keogh took Northamptonshire towards lunch with a stand of 51 for the third wicket.
White dismissed both batsmen before lunch and no significant stands developed thereafter as Leicestershire took regular wickets.
He first struck to have Murphy (36) bowled off an inside edge while Keogh (35) edged the penultimate ball of the session behind to O’Brien with Northants in trouble on 89-4.
The afternoon session was lost to heavy rain but it cleared in time for 38.1 overs to be bowled from 4.20pm.
Seven overs after the restart White struck with Josh Cobb (3) getting a thin edge to O’Brien and then Rory Kleinveldt (4) was taken in the cordon by substitute fielder Andrea Agathangelou.
White’s five-for, the seventh of his first-class career and third of the season, came when Muhammad Azharullah (2) edged low to Ned Eckersley second slip.
Between White’s brilliance, Levi registered a vital half-century while Newton, who was able to come out to bat at No. 8, resisted for 39 balls before being pinned in front by Mark Cosgrove (5.4-2-12-1).
