Malik claims wicket on return

Date: Thursday 09 April 2009

Leicestershire endured a difficult opening day in the two-day friendly with Surrey at Grace Road, but Nadeem Malik claimed a wicket on his successful comeback from injury.

Rain interrupted proceedings a few times, and heavily disrupted the plan to have a two-innings game.

However, the sides stuck to the arrangement to an extent, and it was agreed that Surrey would bat for 40 overs with Leics batting until 6.30pm.

Mark Ramprakash and Laurie Evans were in fine form with the bat for the visitors, who made 189-1 in the time allotted, declaring five balls early.

Malik trapped Jonathan Batty lbw early on, but Ramprakash made an unbeaten century batting at three from 115 balls with 15 fours and four sixes.

Evans was a more-than-useful foil, carrying his bat through the innings and making an impressive unbeaten 72.

There were positives from the first innings, with Malik negotiating a successful return to the attack after a back niggle. Harry Gurney also beat the bat on various occasions, with Alex Wyatt also moving the ball around nicely.

Triallists Carl Crowe, Neil Saker and Dan Masters – brother of David – also got useful overs under their belt, but it was tough going when Ramprakash settled at the crease.

When it was Leics’ turn to bat, Jade Dernbach cashed in on Surrey’s good work with the bat with an impressive spell with the ball as the ball nipped around in the evening session.

Opener Tom New made it through to the close with a battling unbeaten 16, but Dernbach’s excellent spell of 3-14 from seven overs reduced County to 33-3.

The young seamer seamed the ball away nicely and also nipped two balls back to bowl Jim Allenby and trap Josh Cobb lbw, and also got one through Paul Nixon’s defences to leave County with plenty of work to do.

New and James Taylor – who was yesterday named Young Wisden Schools Cricketer of the year - saw things through to the close.