HD leads the fightback

Date: Saturday 11 April 2009

HD Ackerman led the fightback as Leicestershire closed on 78-4 on the opening day of the first-class friendly with Loughborough UCCE.

Ackerman made a much-needed unbeaten 42 to steady the ship after Loughborough had started in promising fashion.

The day’s play was majorly disrupted by rain, beginning only at 5pm after umpires Peter Willey and Steve Malone had made various inspections.

Leicestershire’s stand-in captain Boeta Dippenaar had won the toss and elected to bat under brighter skies before the scheduled earlier start at 2.45pm.

However, when County finally did bat, conditions had deteriorated somewhat, and opening bowlers Henry Jones and Gavin Baker moved the ball about nicely off the seam.

Tom New had made a promising start, but he was first to fall for nine from an excellent ball from Jones. He moved the ball away from the opener, who nicked to captain Ashley Lynch at second slip.

Dippenaar came to the crease for his first knock of the season and he played on to a Baker ball that jagged back sharply for three.

When New’s opening partner Jim Allenby departed - trapped lbw by a Jones ball which nipped back off the seam – County were in some trouble at 21-3 with the Students’ tails up.

Ackerman, who, like Dippenaar was making his first appearance in pre-season, looked in fine touch from word go, stroking a number of trademark drives to the boundary.

Although he lost partner Josh Cobb, who fell in identical fashion to New, he got through to the close on 42 alongside James Taylor, who was unbeaten on five.

County: New (wk), Allenby, Dippenaar (capt), Ackerman, Cobb, Taylor, White, Crowe, Wyatt, Gurney, Buck.