Allenby shines but County have another tough day

Date: Thursday 23 July 2009

Day Three Report: Leicestershire 61-3 trail Essex 427-6 dec (Amla 118, Walker 116*, Foster 85, Maunders 56, Allenby 3-70) by 366 runs.

Essex continued to build a position of strength on the third day at Grace Road, but more bad weather came to disrupt the Championship game.

The visitors moved to full batting points before lunch with Matt Walker making his maiden hundred for Essex and James Foster compiling a more than useful 85.

Although Jim Allenby took 3-70, Essex declared at the interval on 427-6. Despite Allenby also shining with the bat (27*), the away side made three early breakthroughs to reduce County to 27-3.

Allenby and HD Ackerman took Leics to a healthier score of 61-3 and heavy rain then fell to ensure more than half the day was lost to the elements again.

With more than a day-and-a-half lost to poor weather, the match has been largely ruined as a spectacle.

However, there are still points to play for and both teams will be looking to take as much as they can out of the final day tomorrow.

The day started with County needed wickets early on but they were not forthcoming as Walker and Foster extended their stand to 158.

Both played themselves in before taking 27 from the eighth and ninth overs of the day to up the tempo for their side.

The flurry of five boundaries in that little period provided the visitors with momentum, which Walker and Foster built on to take their partnership past 100.

Shortly after, the pair reached personal milestones. Foster bought up his half-century from 97 balls with six fours and Walker then made his first hundred for Essex from his 217th delivery. He struck 13 fours along the way.

The emphasis was then to get to 400, with Foster improvising against spinner George Walker. After looking to sweep, the gloveman then gave himself room to play a delightful cut through backward point.

Walker took his side past full batting points with a nice shot through mid-wicket and Foster then pressed down on the accelerator as the visitors looked to force the issue.

The keeper found the boundary with regularity in the period before lunch, including a lofted drive and two late cuts which both went to the ropes.

He perished as he prospered though, nicking Allenby through to Tom New attempting another delicate shot.

After waiting patiently for the first wicket of the day, the second represented a London bus by following immediately.

The all-rounder sealed a second bowling point with the very next ball, having Ryan ten Doeschate brilliantly caught by Boeta Dippenaar at second slip.

He was denied the chance of a hat-trick for now as and Essex called it quits at that stage, inviting Leics to bat after the interval.

Matthew Boyce and Josh Cobb both opened their accounts with boundaries, with the left-hander playing a beautiful cover drive and the youngster deftly guided David Masters through the cordon.

However, Boyce was trapped leg-before by Tony Palladino in the fourth over as the visitors claimed the early scalp they were looking for.

Cobb played a glorious off-drive to show his intent before rain took the players off shortly after, with the score on 16-1.

The teenager picked up where he left off after the resumption with an excellent lofted on-drive off Palladino.

Skipper Dippenaar also settled in with a cracking cut stroke off former County man Masters. The seamer got his revenge later in the over though, having the batter caught down the leg side by Foster

Although that dismissal was a strangle, Essex could smell blood and struck for a third time as Cobb was enticed into a loose drive by Palladino.

John Maunders parried the chance at second slip, but rather it going to ground, the ball went straight to colleague Walker at first, who gratefully accepted the gift.

Allenby came to the crease and looked in good touch immediately, pulling Masters for four and playing a lovely cover drive to the boundary off the same bowler.

The batsmen also cut powerfully for four in Chris Wright's first over, although he was a tad fortunate to find the ropes with an edgy drive later in that over.

Ackerman also looked to be positive, playing a trademark square drive off Palladino to open his boundary account.

The duo took their stand to 34 before bad light and heavy rain took the players off the field at 3.20pm.

The score was 61-3 at that stage and they were not to return as two extremely heavy showers put paid to any hopes of play.

John Holder and Steve Garratt called it off just after 5pm, which was further frustration for all after the first day washout and the early finish on day two.