Naik clinches tense County win

Date: Saturday 22 August 2009

Final Report: Leicestershire (21 points) 368 (Taylor 83*, Cobb 72, Nixon 57, Kirby 4-78) and 133 (Benning 25, Taylor 24, Marshall 4-17) beat Gloucestershire (3 points) 138 (Taylor 50, Harris 5-26) and 319 (Franklin 97*, Kadeer 48, Naik 2-32, White 2-49, Harris 2-65, Henderson 2-106) by 44 runs.

Jigar Naik and Claude Henderson settled Leicestershire’s nerves as the team came through the tensest of final days to clinch a dramatic Championship victory against brave Gloucestershire at Grace Road.

Gloucestershire, who started the day on 133-5, had progressed to a matchwinning position of 298-7 by tea, with James Franklin (97*) holding things together with a quite outstanding knock.

By that stage, the Kiwi had already shared a partnership of 47 with Steve Adshead (18), and another determined stand of 98 with Doncaster-born Richard Dawson (49) had put the game on a knife-edge.

The off-spinner showed true Yorkshire grit in defiance of the home attack, and although he fell to James Benning, the County still had a more-than-useful lower order to dislodge.

All told, the visitors required another 66 runs to clinch a famous win, while County’s initial task of needing five wickets in three sessions was now looking much harder in the final exchanges of an increasingly frustrating final day’s play.

However, Henderson struck to remove Ian Saxelby (17), and then Naik – who bowled with spin, dip, flight and drift in taking 2-32 from brilliant 24 overs with ten maidens – claimed the final two wickets of Jon Lewis and Steve Kirby to ensure a 44-run triumph.

It was always County’s plan to utilise the spinners on the final day. That was evident as two tweakers were selected in the line-up, the team batted first when winning the toss, and skipper Boeta Dippenaar did not enforce the follow-on when it was on offer on the second day.

However, the team surely did not anticipate their spinners operating in such a tense situation after laying the foundations of victory over the first three days.

That was exactly the scenario, though, as the visitors reacted brilliantly to being 235 runs behind after the first innings. Firstly, their bowlers ensured an achievable target was set, and then their batsmen produced a highly-disciplined, hardworking effort to run things perilously close.

Everyone of a Leicestershire persuasion had seen too much cricket in their lifetimes to expect Gloucs to surrender meekly on the last day, but a steady flow of wickets on a deteriorating surface was well within the team’s capabilities.

It was not to be the case, with the visitors claiming the honours in the opening session by scoring 86 runs and losing only one wicket in the process.

Gloucestershire, who started proceedings requiring a further 231 runs to win, safely negotiated the first fifty minutes while chipping away at their target.

Adshead and Franklin took the attack to Henderson - who opened the bowling from the Pavilion End - and that was the key to disrupting Leicestershire’s rhythm.

The first ball of the day spun sharply, but after that both batsmen negated the spin by being positive. Adshead hit a drive through mid-on while Franklin used his feet to loft two straight maximums back over the bowler's head.

The Kiwi also stroked a straight four off the slow left armer and the duo progressed their stand to 47, which ensured less than 200 runs were now required.

Every reduction in the chase like that one was a psychological boost to the visitors and County needed a breakthrough to boost their victory charge.

Wayne White, who struck crucially last evening to dismiss Hamish Marshall, again came to the party with a spell of 1-5 in a pacy burst of five overs.

The all-rounder bowled with good pace and got the vital wicket, sending the off and middle stump flying when Adshead missed a delivery that nipped back off the seam.

It was a stint that lifted everybody. The seamer then took a rest just prior to the new ball as Naik came on to form a spinning partnership with Henderson.

There was certainly some turn but Dawson - who was the victim of a huge leg-before appeal when padding up Henderson - and Franklin survived a few overs of twirl. That prompted the taking of the new cherry in the 83rd over as Harris returned.

The New Zealander survived a leg-before shout from the seamer before stroking a fine four wide of mid-on and that shot bought up the visitors' 200.

Like yesterday, Benning took the new ball alongside Harris and was operating with a solitary slip from the Pavilion End. And, like yesterday, the all-rounder got good shape and wished he had a second fielder in the cordon as Dawson immediately nicked through that region.

Franklin continued to play well, moving to a 95-ball half-century which included four fours and two sixes. He displayed the class that allows him to bat at number six for his side despite bursting onto the cricketing scene as a frontline bowler.

He got through to lunch unbeaten on 50, with Dawson not out on 25 and the partnership on an unbroken 50. The score was 219-6 at that stage, with a further 145 runs required to win.

If that equation was slightly worrying for County, it got even worse as the afternoon session was also dominated by the visitors, who scored 79 runs for the loss of one wicket.

Former England off-spinner Dawson continued his fine knock after the break, finding the boundary four times in quick succession.

One of those was streakily placed between Tom New and Paul Nixon, who was stationed wide of the keeper at second slip, but they were runs all the same.

It was getting increasingly annoying for County, and Dawson flashed another edge that just failed to carry to Nixon at gully off Benning later in the session to add to the drama.

A deftly-played late cut from Franklin reduced the target to double figures, and with the partnership almost standing at 100, County had lots of food for thought.

However, Benning (1-50 off 23) was rewarded for his niggling accuracy with a maiden first-class wicket for the club; trapping Dawson leg-before for a hard-fought 49.

It was a wicket that was well-deserved and badly-needed wicket in equal measure, and the all-rounder continued to cause problems for new batsman Saxelby.

The batter did not look at all convincing, but these situations call for character rather than aesthetics. Saxelby looked as though he got a faint tickle on one through to New, but it was a hard chance standing up. He then left a ball that was perilously close to his off-peg.

Saxelby did not look comfortable and another edge went through the vacant first slip position. The batsman was certainly riding his luck, and a nick off the impressive Naik fell just short of Dippenaar at slip to add to the frustration.

By hook or by crook, he had 14 to his name at tea, and with Franklin sensibly adding a further 34 runs inbetween lunch and tea, Gloucestershire were 298-7 and needing another 66 to claim the win.

County needed to forget what had gone before and give it one final crack. The session started promisingly as another chance was created by Naik straightaway, but another Saxelby edge flew between Dippenaar and Benning in the slips.

It looked as thought it was going to be the youngster’s day, but Henderson snared him leg-before for 17 in the next over to end the 34-run stand.

It was a huge morale-booster, and Naik then got in on the wicket-taking act after bowling beautifully all day. New batsman Lewis decided to be aggressive in pursuit of the runs, and the off-spinner finally got some reward for his efforts.

Naik struck as Lewis' ambitious sweep went miles high in the deep blue sky for what seemed like an eternity, but Greg Smith held his nerve to take an extremely well-judged catch at mid-wicket.

Finally, the victory could be sensed. And, despite Kirby holding out for 24 balls, Naik ripped one through his defences to seal the win in what had been a fantastic advert for four-day cricket.

Franklin at least deserved a century for his efforts, and you had to feel sorry for the batter for being left stranded on 97.

Still, the match had everything, from fascinating opening exchanges to a real humdinger of a final day where the result could have gone any one of three ways.

It will be little consolation to Gloucestershire that they played a full part in the game, but if they continue to show the heart and courage they displayed here, a promotion push can be expected in the closing weeks of the season.

For County, it was a morale-boosting success, with everyone playing their part in one way or another to ensure the team moved off the bottom of the table.

Next up in the Championship is Essex at Chelmsford next Wednesday, but there is little recovery time before tomorrow’s Pro40 clash with Lancashire.