Alternative Match Reports

Date: Tuesday 01 June 2010

Work Placement Student Christopher Finch has been at Grace Road the last four days. Here is his take of the game:

(Picture kindly provided by Mr PD Long)

Day 4

Persistent rain spoiled any chance of an unlikely positive result between Leicestershire and Glamorgan at Grace Road, as the final day of their LV= County Championship Division Two match was completely washed out.

With almost all of the first day lost to rain, the match was a story of two partnerships, a record unbroken 360 stand between the Foxes’ James Taylor and Andrew McDonald, and 266 between Owais Shah and Neil Dexter for the Panthers.

These partnerships in particular meant that a result looked a long way off as Middlesex went in to day four at 356-5, still trailing by 108 runs with five first innings wickets left in tact.

But with the heavens opening for most of the final day, umpires Mark Benson and Nick Cook finally called an end to proceedings in the middle of the afternoon.

Leicestershire took nine points from the match, compared to Middlesex’s eight. The Foxes take a short break from four-day action to host Derbyshire in the Friends Provident t20 on Wednesday, before returning to the Championship on Friday with a trip to The Oval to face Surrey.

Approaching the half-way point in the Championship, a win over bottom-of-the-table Surrey is much needed for the Foxes if they are going to sustain a promotion push, as the draw here means it is now five games without a win in four-day cricket.

Day 3

There were centuries for both Owais Shah and Neil Dexter at Grace Road as Middlesex fought back against Leicestershire on day three of their LV= County Championship Division Two match to trail by 108 runs with 5 wickets in hand at the close.

Shah’s 289 ball 156 included 23 fours and one six and was his 38th career first-class ton. He was ably supported by Neil Dexter who scored 118 off 186 balls, hitting 15 fours, and even clearing the fence on one occasion.

Middlesex started at 19-0, and despite Sam Robson hitting a boundary off the first ball of the day, he was dismissed off the final ball of the opening over by Harry Gurney, who encouraged Robson to edge to Matthew Boyce at slip.

Gurney took his second wicket of the morning in the 12th over of the innings, when he swung a ball away from Scott Newman, who followed it and was caught behind by Tom New.

The Panthers almost found themselves three down, as Dawid Malan edged Matthew Hoggard to second slip, but a diving Boyce could not hold on. It was a short reprieve for Middlesex’s top Championship run scorer this season though, as the next ball he was given out lbw, and they were struggling at 35-3.

That wicket saw Dexter join Shah at the crease, and they set about rebuilding the innings, chasing Leicestershire’s mammoth effort of 464-3 declared. The two of them safely negotiated their way towards lunch at 91-3.

In the first over after the break, Shah was dropped on 39 by Will Jefferson at slip, and the Foxes were made to pay for that error. The former England batsman soon reached his half century with a boundary off Hoggard, and followed it up by hitting Claude Henderson for two fours in the left-arm spinner’s first over.

With Hoggard and Gurney less effective in the afternoon session, Dexter also chalked up his 50 from 105 balls. It was a sketchy knock, with him especially having trouble with Nathan Buck, playing and missing at many outside off stump.

The field moved back with Shah heading towards his 100, and it came with a huge edge over the slips off Jacques du Toit that raced away to the fence. The 190-ball innings included 15 fours, and was his first of the season.

Leicestershire approached tea having not taken a wicket in the session, though they had another chance when Dexter came down the track to Henderson and got an inside edge that was not taken by New. This meant Middlesex reached the interval at 250-3 off 71 overs.

Dexter was still struggling with Buck, but the 19-year old could not get him out, despite being the only bowler effective with the old ball. Dexter reached his ton in typically ungainly fashion with a scruffy onside single. Even though it wasn’t the prettiest of knocks, it had been effective and guided the Panthers in to a decent position.

The next over, he hit the first six of the match with a smash off Henderson, and the new ball was quickly snapped up with Middlesex nearing 300.

The partnership was finally broken on 266 by Gurney, who took his third wicket of the innings. Dexter mis-timed a pull off his back foot, and ended up scooping the ball up to James Taylor at mid-off with a hand off the bat.

The follow-on marker was comfortably passed, and Shah reached his 150 with a hooked six off Gurney. He was caught and bowled by Andrew McDonald four overs later when he patted the ball back to the Australian, and the long vigil was complete for 156.

John Simpson and Gareth Berg saw the Panthers through to the end of the day at 356-5 finishing on 34 and 7 not outs respectively.

It was a tough day in the field for the Leicestershire bowlers, and they were very unlucky, Buck in particular not to be more successful. Gurney was the pick of them with 3-82 from 24 overs.

With rain forecast for the final day, a draw looks the most likely outcome bar something remarkable occurring.

Day 2

James Taylor and Andrew McDonald both went ballistic on a record breaking day at Grace Road, as Leicestershire took a 445 run lead in to the third day of their LV= County Championship Division Two game with Middlesex.

The pairs 360 run stand is the club’s highest ever fourth wicket partnership, beating the previous best of 290 between Peter Willey and current first team coach Tim Boon that was set against Warwickshire in 1984. It was also only 30 runs short of Leicestershire’s highest ever partnership for any wicket in County Championship cricket.

Starting the day on 23-2 having been put in the night before, Taylor recorded his second double century in first class cricket, finishing on 206 not out from 271 balls with 28 boundaries, while McDonald posted a career best unbeaten 176 from 218 balls, with 22 fours.

The Foxes eventually declared on 464-3 from 97 overs, while Middlesex finished the day on 19-0.

Middlesex got off to a poor start, when in only the second over of the morning, Matthew Boyce was dropped by a diving Neil Dexter at second slip.

Boyce and James Taylor took advantage of the gaps in the field to pile on 40 runs in the first five overs of the morning, and when Boyce edged another one through the leaping hands of Dexter, Leicestershire brought up their hundred in the 21st over. Wayward bowling from Pedro Collins in particular helped the pair.

The partnership was soon ended for 88 though, when a full delivery from Gareth Berg cleaned up Boyce’s stumps, and the opener was dismissed for a 73-ball 42.

He was replaced at the crease by Andrew Mc Donald, fresh off a century against Glamorgan in the last Championship match. The Australian got off to an aggressive start, with a beautiful early drive through the covers for four off Iain O’Brien.

Though the run rate had dropped slightly, Taylor had got to 40 in an exciting innings before hitting the buffers as he struggled to find the middle of the bat. Despite this, he ground towards 50 and onwards, bringing it up off 76 balls. The duo reached lunch at 153-3, having rarely been troubled by a mediocre attack.

With runs freely available due to a combination of poor bowling and dreadful ground fielding, Taylor and McDonald continued on through the afternoon. The century partnership was reached, and Taylor brought up his individual hundred a ball later when he hit Shaun Udal through midwicket. The ton was his fourth in the Championship, and his first this season.

McDonald reached his 50 following two mis-fields in three balls. Both Udal and Collins were at fault as Berg trundled away.

The 200 partnership came about just before tea, and the Foxes reached the break on 307-3.

Taylor passed 150, and McDonald cut a Dawid Malan delivery to the boundary for his second century in less than a week, the landmark coming in 158 balls, with 13 fours.

Middlesex took the new ball at 80 overs but to avail. Murtagh ploughed on, but with no O’Brien, missing with an injury since lunch, Collins was not up to the task.

The two batsmen passed the fourth wicket partnership record for the club, and also brought up 400 for the Foxes for the first time this season, giving Leicestershire maximum batting points.

McDonald passed his 150 to reach his highest ever first class score, the third 50 coming in only 38 balls.

With a declaration looming, Taylor reached his second ever double hundred with a flick off his legs that resulted in a single from another mis-field. Captain Matthew Hoggard called the batsmen in at the end of the 97th over, with Leicestershire having amassed 464-3.

That left Middlesex with a tricky seven overs to negotiate before the close that they safely saw out without losing a wicket.

They trail by a mammoth 445 runs with two days to go, still 296 runs away from avoiding the follow-on. With rain forecast for Tuesday, the Foxes will want to bowl their opponents out as quickly as possible.

Day 1

Less than ten overs were possible as rain and bad light put paid to most of the first day as Leicestershire reached 23-2 in their LV= County Championship Second Division match against Middlesex at Grace Road.

With rain around for most of the day, the sun came out and play eventually started at 5pm.

Middlesex won the toss and elected to bowl, making two changes from the team that drew with Surrey. Sam Robson and Iain O’Brien came in for Andrew Strauss and Steven Finn, who were both away on England duty.

Meanwhile, Leicestershire also made two changes, as the fit again Will Jefferson and Jacques du Toit replaced Josh Cobb and Jigar Naik.

The Foxes were hoping for a change of fortune following four Championship defeats in a row, but got off to a bad start.

In the first over of the day, Tim Murtagh had an lbw appeal on Jefferson turned down, and the ball landed at second slip. Neil Dexter threw the ball, knocking the stumps down, and with Jefferson stood out of his crease he was run out for a duck.

Leicestershire were soon two down when Paul Nixon dabbed at an Iain O’Brien delivery outside off stump, and was caught by wicketkeeper John Simpson.

Matthew Boyce took advantage of the vacant field areas to move along to 18 when umpires Nick Cook and Mark Benson took the players off for bad light, and they never returned.