Absorbing first day at Grace Road

Date: Friday 10 July 2009

Leicestershire 137-6 (Cobb 65*, New 42, Finn 4-54) trail Middlesex 159 (Malan 67*, O’Brien 6-39) by 22 runs.

Iain O’Brien, Josh Cobb and Tom New were all in super form but Leicestershire’s Championship match against Middlesex is still very much in the balance after a thrilling, topsy-turvy opening day.

County had the upper hand when O’Brien’s stunning 6-39 helped restrict Middlesex to 159 but Steve Finn struck four early blows to leave the team on 53-5 in reply.

Opener Cobb (65*) then combined with New (42) to good effect as the duo put on 73 for the sixth wicket, although their good work was halted by visiting skipper Shaun Udal got the ‘keeper out late on to keep honours even.

It was an absorbing day’s play with wickets tumbling at regular intervals. However, the pitch – although a little two-paced – could not be blamed for either side’s downfall.

Sure, there was life for the pacemen - particularly from the Bennett End, where picking up the ball appeared to be a problem at times - but when batsmen got in, they looked difficult to dislodge.

That was illustrated by the visitors’ Dawid Malan, who came in at number five and was unbeaten on 67 by the end of the innings.

His innings was hugely important for Middlesex, who were rocked by O’Brien throughout their dig after opting to bat first on a fine morning.

The New Zealander, who was celebrating his 33rd birthday today, was bang on the money from word go, bowling with good pace, seam and carry and picked up his second consecutive six-for in the Championship.

The overseas player set the tone early on with some excellent bowling, taking two early wickets to give the team a lift.

O'Brien beat the outside edge on numerous occasions before deceiving Nick Compton with a slower ball. The opener seemed to lose the path of the ball and was trapped leg-before for four.

That bought number three Owais Shah to the crease and he looked intent on knocking the seamer out of his stride

He pulled two fours off the back foot and also squirted a four through third man to get his innings off to a flyer, with twelve runs taken off the first five balls he received.

All three strokes had tremendous batspeed; although rather ironically it was a lack of positive movement of the willow that brought his downfall. He opted to leave an O’Brien delivery that came back sharply and bowled him with no shot offered to end a bright-but-brief stay.

Billy Godleman, meanwhile, was quietly going about his business at the other end. He had played 14 dot balls before getting off the mark with a neat cover drive but looked content to play the waiting game.

England Twenty20 batsman Eoin Morgan was the young left hander’s new partner and survived a big O'Brien leg-before shout early in his innings.

All of the batsmen were having difficulty with the swinging ball and Godleman was next to be undone. Jim Allenby (10-4-17-1) nipped one back into his pads and struck him on the back leg to end his patient stay of 12 off 54 balls, which left the score on 37-3.

The visitors needed a regroup and the left-handed duo of Morgan and Malan stabilised the innings with the Irishman capitalising on anything short or off line.

The pair took the score onto 75 with Morgan looking ominous on 30, but O'Brien returned to end his knock as the batsman edged a catch to Allenby at first slip.

It left the visitors on 80-4 at lunch and the pacemen were again in the thick of the action after the break.

Firstly, AJ Harris had David Nash caught by Allenby at first slip, before O'Brien completed his five-for.

The New Zealander trapped Gareth Berg in front, before removing Udal's middle stump with a ball that jagged back in sharply.

Malan, who was watching the drama unfold at the other end, was unfazed and in fine touch. He took 11 off Harris' 13th over, including a powerful pull and a neat drive through backward point.

However, County had one end open and kept chipping away. Murali Kartik (11) helped Malan add 30 for the eighth wicket but he lost his off stump to Harry Gurney (2-46), and the left-armer then took a return catch to dismiss Tim Murtagh for one.

Inbetween those wickets, Malan bought up his half-century from 74 balls with his ninth four. He pulled Gurney for two more boundaries to keep the fight going, but O'Brien returned to trap Steve Finn leg-before to finish with 6-39.

It left the promising youngster unbeaten on a fine 67 and meant County had the prospect of a 43-over session given the fall of the final wicket coincided with tea.

That lengthy session was never going to be easy and a solid period would have been just what the doctor ordered.

Finn (4-54) did not allow that to happen. The tall paceman snared Matthew Boyce leg-before and bowled captain Boeta Dippenaar, with both men struggling to pick up full deliveries.

Worse was to follow when the youngster dismissed HD Ackerman, who couldn’t believe his luck – or lack of it – when belting a pull straight to Gareth Berg at backward square-leg.

At 27-3, the scoreboard did not make rosy reading, but things slumped further as Allenby was bowled by Murtagh and Finn enticed James Taylor to nibble behind to Nash.

That left County precariously placed at 53-5, with Cobb still unbeaten after opening the innings. He needed someone to hang around to help construct a partnership of substance and the in-form New was the man for the job.

Cobb, who made a brilliant 220 for England under 19s this week, looked full of confidence and intent, and played aggressively throughout.

That was illustrated with a beautiful lofted drive off Murtagh very early in the piece, and he continued to find the boundary with regularity despite losing partners at the other end.

The bowlers made life difficult but Cobb soon settled down and played beautifully, including a super pulled six off Finn and another cracking straight maximum of the dangerous Kartik.

He had a good foil in New, who soaked up the pressure by playing well through the covers and off his pads.

The pair passed their fifty-run stand, with Cobb then moving to a well-played half-century off 74 balls with seven fours and two sixes.

Cobb and New looked set to see things through to the close, but Udal – who dismissed the 'keeper twice in the Championship match earlier this season – bought himself on and made it a personal hat-trick.

The wily off-spinner enticed New to play forward at a delivery which spun off bat and pad into the hands of Berg at silly mid-off, and Middlesex had a welcome breakthrough from their perspective on 126.

George Walker helped Cobb through to the close and County followers will be hoping they can extend their 11-run stand in the morning to build what could be a crucial lead in an already fascinating match.