Late double puts County in charge

Date: Friday 21 August 2009

Day Three Report: Leicestershire 368 (Taylor 83*, Cobb 72, Nixon 57, Kirby 4-78) and 133 (Benning 25, Taylor 24, Marshall 4-17) lead Gloucestershire 138 (Taylor 50, Harris 5-26) and 133-5 (Kadeer 48, Harris 2-47) by 230 runs.

A late burst of two wickets in two balls ensured Leicestershire ended day three in firm control of the Championship match against Gloucestershire at Grace Road.

After creeping up to 133 in their second innings, County set a target of 364 for their visitors in five sessions.

At 76-1 and 122-3 in their second innings, Gloucs would not have been displeased with how things were going after being well behind the eight-ball after an innings apiece.

However, first-innings top scorer Chris Taylor (19) was run out by a direct hit from James Benning and Claude Henderson bowled Kadeer Ali (48) with the very next ball to ensure County ended proceedings well on top.

Gloucestershire need another 231 runs on the final day to force victory, while County are halfway through the line-up and will fancy their chances of wrapping up their second four-day win of the season on a deteriorating pitch.

It was a topsy-turvy day in many respects and the morning certainly didn't start according to plan as County continued to struggle en route to 95-9 from their overnight position of 49-5.

It needed a defiant last-wicket stand of 38 between Jigar Naik (21*) and AJ Harris (18) to ensure the chase went over 350, with the seamer continuing his great match.

The score ensured Harris notched a career-best with the bat for County after beating his best with the ball yesterday, and their partnership was not only the second highest in the innings, but also came at exactly the right time.

For the visitors, Hamish Marshall continued his role of the unlikely bowling hero from the previous evening.

The Kiwi had only three first-class wickets before this innings, but snared 4-24 off seventeen highly-accurate overs with some lively medium pacers that swung both ways. Ian Saxelby chipped in with 3-31 off 15.

Their niggly seamers caused the bulk of the damage on the third day as they claimed two wickets apiece with the team only adding 46 to their tally at that stage.

From the overnight position, a lot rested on the stand between James Taylor and Benning, and the duo started nicely.

Taylor opened his account for the day with a boundary through cover and Benning also smashed a four through the gully region as eleven runs came from the opening over. The all-rounder continued to be positive, moving to 25 in quick time.

However, he fell in bizarre fashion, caught by Taylor at mid-off off the leading edge attempting to play to leg. It gave Marshall a third wicket, with the Kiwi having 3-14 at that stage, and started a fine period of play for Gloucestershire.

Wayne White also fell looking to be aggressive, top-edging a pull to James Franklin off Ian Saxelby. The New Zealander ran around from mid-on to take the catch at mid-wicket.

Key man Taylor was then trapped leg-before by the young seamer. The teenager looked disappointed as he walked off with the team in trouble on 82-8 but shouldn't have been after battling for five-and-a-half hours in the game in losing his wicket only once.

That was a fine achievement per se. However, County needed a stand to get the lead up to the 350 mark and Naik and Henderson were the men at the wicket.

Naik started neatly, timing a drive through the covers off Saxelby to get off the mark. The off-spinner also pulled a four fine off Kirby but lost his partner when Henderson drove uppishly to a diving Rob Woodman at backward point.

The lead only stood at 326 at that point, but Harris continued his fine match by providing sterling support alongside Naik.

After playing sensibly, rotating the strike and hitting the occasional boundary, the duo took the lead went past 350.

They almost made it through to lunch, but Harris was trapped leg-before by Jon Lewis shortly prior to end the innings. The stand certainly provided a shift in momentum, with the pair batting for fifty minutes and facing 99 balls between them.

Openers Woodman and Kadeer Ali negotiated the opening 7.5 overs before a stoppage due to rain and bad light, with the latter stroking two drives to the cover boundary as he started to construct.

Harris beat the outside edge with a couple beauties but could not break through. Benning was his new ball partner from the Pavilion End, with Boeta Dippenaar keen for the medium pacer to copy Marshall's style earlier in the day.

The all-rounder got some shape and rued the absence of a second slip when Woodman edged through the vacant region in his fourth over.

The light shower then turned into a heavier burst, with play being halted for just over an hour. That meant the extra half-hour came into effect and nine overs in the day were lost.

The break proved a blessing for County as Harris struck immediately upon the resumption. After claiming all five first-innings wickets either leg-before or bowled, the seamer continued that trend by trapping Woodman in front after the batter played around his front pad.

Gloucs required some stability and Kadeer and Marshall (38) provided it, with the Kiwi attacking Henderson when he entered the attack.

The batsman cut powerfully for four and also lofted a straight drive back over the bowler's head, while Kadeer stroked a drive through the covers off White as the pair got through until tea.

It was not without scare, as Kadeer survived a huge leg-before shout from Henderson prior to the interval. However, the duo had seen off the new ball and achieved their first objective.

Another shower meant three more overs were lost from the evening session, and the duo dug in again when play resumed.

County badly needed a breakthrough as the stand passed fifty and White's sense of timing was immaculate. The bowler produced an unplayable delivery that shot through and pinned Marshall in front to give the team their second wicket with the score on 76.

The pitch was certainly showing signs of deterioration - which was a pleasant sight for the bowlers. It was not such fun for the batsmen, as it was the sort of wicket where a ball had your name on it.

Gidman was unfortunate to have that fate twice in the game; after being bowled by Harris in the first innings to one that kept low, he suffered a similar fate here.

This time he was trapped in front by the seamer, who claimed his seventh wicket of an already productive game.

A period of quiet followed but Henderson sent down a potentially match-winning 50th over with Benning starring as part of it.

There was no indication of any drama when Taylor nudged one round the corner and Kadeer called him through. However, the batter was slow to react and the hesitation was crucial, with Benning producing produced a fantastic throw from the 45 position to knock out the middle pole.

While County were cock-a-hoop, Kadeer was left to reflect on the tame dismissal. That may have had a bearing on the next ball, as he played an uncharacteristically rash stroke.

Henderson, who had attacked the rough outside leg-stump, may have sensed the opportunity and bowled towards the base of off-stump.

Kadeer drove over it, and the slow left armer took advantage as the ball clattered into the off pole to end a patient stay of 48, and Henderson (1-36 off 17) had a deserved breakthrough after careful probing throughout the innings.

Naik almost made it six when a Steve Adshead nick possibly carried to Boeta Dippenaar at slip, but the diving skipper couldn’t quite get his fingertips underneath the ball.

Still, County will be happy with taking five scalps, and a repeat performance tomorrow will ensure victory. Gloucestershire will not give up though, that is for sure.