Northants continue to dominate

Date: Thursday 24 September 2009

Northants 600-8 dec (White 193, Hall 159, Boje 90*, Benning 2-53) lead Leicestershire 218 (Nixon 52, New 46*, Hall 4-41, Boje 2-14) and 30-2 by 352 runs.

Andrew Hall and Nicky Boje displayed their all-round abilities as promotion-chasing Northamptonshire took a firm grip of the Championship game against Leicestershire at Wantage Road.

The duo shared a record-breaking seventh-wicket stand of 141 against County as Northants moved from 465-5 to 600-8 declared, before then combining effectively with the ball later in the day to disrupt Leicestershire’s first innings.

County were 106-1 at one stage but lost four wickets for five runs as Hall and Boje struck. The team slipped to 218 all out despite good knocks from Paul Nixon (52) and Tom New (46*) and were forced to follow on.

If County could have got through without any loss, that would have been most welcoming. However, by stumps, the team were 30-2 in their second dig after losing captain Matthew Boyce and night-watchman AJ Harris to the left arm pace of David Lucas.

With the bat, Hall moved on to 159 and Boje made an unbeaten 90 as Northants amassed their highest-ever score against Leics, and then both all-rounders prospered with the ball to really stick the knife in.

At 106-1 and not looking overly troubled, County were well placed to make the 300 they needed to ensure they would not finish at the foot of the table.

However, when Hall (4-41) and Boje (2-14) struck three times in consecutive overs, the whole picture changed and Leicestershire will now need an escape of Houdini proportions to get the draw points they require.

Greg Smith, Nixon and Josh Cobb all fell without a run being added to the total and Hall then struck for a third time as James Taylor was caught in the slips trying to withdraw his bat.

Northants continued to chip away at the rest of the order, and despite a spirited effort from New, who shared stands of 40 with both James Benning and Harris, County were forced to bat again.

With Essex going to have to produce an excellent performance to beat Derbyshire, the scriptwriters had again done a good job for Northants, who have taken significant strides towards promotion.

Earlier in the day, the home side decided to bat on and proceedings started ominously for County as Boje crashed a couple of fours through the covers.

The captain then flicked one off his legs for another boundary, and when an inside edge also flew away across the quick outfield and Boje then pulled a six, Northants had added 35 in the opening three overs as the 500 came up.

Leics desperately needed to stop the flow of boundaries but they couldn’t manage it. Boje hit his fifth four of the morning to bring up a 35-ball half-century.

The third 100-run stand of the innings was bought up when Boje squeezed a drive over the head of mid-off and the landmarks kept coming as Hall bought up his 150 after half an hour of play.

He progressed to 159 before becoming falling to Wayne White. The bowler held a return catch to end the stand, which became the second record partnership against Leics in the innings.

Johannes van der Wath was never going to hang around, and two straight sixes off Claude Henderson signalled that intent. By now, the score was creeping up to 600.

White was unfortunate not to have a second wicket when van der Wath skied one miles into the air, but Benning lost the ball in the sun and couldn’t grasp the opportunity at mid-off.

The batsman fell for a quickfire 30 from just 23 balls when being bowled by Henderson, and when Lucas struck a four on his arrival at the crease, the home side called it quits.

It meant County had missed out on a third bowling point, and now had a couple of targets. Firstly, they needed to post 300 to guarantee finishing above Middlesex, and then the team needed to make 451 to avoid the follow-on.

Every journey starts with small steps though, and the first port of call was to deal with a tricky period before lunch. Both Nixon and Boyce found the boundary with pleasant strokes - Nixon through mid-on and Boyce driving squarely - and the team achieved their primary objective by getting in on 24 without loss.

The duo continued to battle away after the break, with Boyce driving through mid-off and flicking nicely off his pads. Nixon also found the mid-wicket boundary as the pair built. Boyce was dealing strictly in boundaries and his fifth – a flowing cover drive – bought up the 50-run partnership.

However, he perished on the drive shortly after in unfortunate fashion. Former Leics loanee Lee Daggett enticed the edge and although Riki Wessels parried the chance at second slip, it luckily went to Stephen Peters at third, who clung on diving to his right.

Smith came in and immediately got off the mark in stylish fashion; timing the ball beautifully through cover. Smith and Nixon had previous experience batting together after opening the innings against Gloucestershire earlier this summer, where the pair shared a 50 partnership.

They again looked at ease in each other’s company here, with Nixon continuing to accumulate and Smith driving fluently en route to another fifty run stand.

The left-hander lofted Boje for six when he entered the attack, bringing up an 86-ball fifty which also included six fours. It also bought up the Leics’ 100 and the fifty stand for good measure.

There was certainly something to build on, but things soon changed dramatically. Boje had introduced himself to allow Hall to switch to the Lynn Wilson centre end and it had an immediate triple impact with County losing three wickets on 106.

Firstly, Alex Wakely was in the thick of the action with two differing catches at forward short-leg. The youngster held a comfortable chance when Smith fended off a short delivery from Hall and then plucked a super low catch to dismiss Nixon, who had played a positive stroke into the leg-side.

That bought Taylor to the crease alongside Cobb in the unwanted situation of neither having scored when their partnership started. It was going to be a tricky spell and both lost their wickets to Hall without getting off the mark.

Cobb gloved a leg-side ball and Taylor was caught by Peters at first slip as he attempted to get his bat and hands out of the way of the ball.

New and Benning steadied the ship, taking the score to 144-5 with some good strokeplay and careful defence. New continued on his way after tea by belting a drive through the covers, but just as the score passed 150 and the duo had put on 40, Northants struck again.

van der Wath banged in a short ball and Benning took on the shot. However, he could only pick out Wakely, who held his third catch of the innings – this time at deep square leg.

Wickets continued to fall, and White was next to go; adjudged leg-before from the bowling of Lucas for four. Henderson was then caught behind off van der Wath for ten.

Harris came in and stroked a number of impressive drives as the score edged towards 200, while New also carried on playing well. A square drive for four from the left-hander kept the board moving, and a Harris push through mid-off bought a first batting point.

However, when he overbalanced and was stumped by O’Brien off Boje and Harry Gurney was bowled by Hall, the innings was over. New, who displayed great patience, was left unbeaten at the other end.

County had to see off ten overs before the close but couldn’t manage it. Boyce was well caught by a diving O’Brien off Lucas for twelve.

Harris fell to exactly the same manner of dismissal, with Nixon unbeaten on seven at stumps. It was certainly another day of domination for Northants, who will be absolutely delighted with how this match is panning out. It is the exact opposite for County, who finished the day 352 runs behind.