Batsmen lay the foundations

Date: Friday 09 April 2010

A fine unbroken stand of 105 between Tom New and Wayne White built on impressive work by James Taylor and Matthew Boyce to ensure Leicestershire enjoyed a good opening day to the 2010 season.

After being inserted and losing two early wickets, Leicestershire closed on 303-5 with Taylor top scoring with a polished 88.

Taylor put on 83 with the hard-working Boyce (47) to guide the team away from a dangerous position of 25-2 and New (59*) and White (52*) then added classy unbeaten half-centuries to allow the team to close in a position of strength.

In all, it was a fine way to start proceedings for the team and new Club Captain Matthew Hoggard. There was a sizeable crowd at Grace Road and the weather belied the early April start.

It was a gorgeous day and Hoggard flipped the coin for the first time at 10.30am. Northamptonshire skipper Nicky Boje called correctly and invited Leicestershire to bat first, which seemed a sensible decision given the recent weather.

As well as Hoggard making his debut, County also gave a bow to opening batsman Will Jefferson. Northants welcomed Mal Loye back into their line-up, gave Vishal Tripathi his first start and included two former Foxes in Paul Harrison and Lee Daggett.

Boje’s decision meant Jefferson got into the action early. He opened his Leicestershire account with the season's first runs with a clipped three out to square leg. Boyce also got off the mark with a nice shot; a flowing drive through extra.

After a bright start, Jefferson was the first wicket to fall. He got a thin under-edge to a Jack Brooks delivery that kept low and Harrison took the catch.

Brooks was bowling with good pace, carry and energy from the Bennett End and was proving a real handful. His reward for a fine opening spell was a second wicket; he enticed Paul Nixon into playing and he nicked to David Sales at second slip.

Taylor announced his arrival to the crease with a driven four and settled in nicely alongside Boyce.

Andrew Hall replaced Brooks - who took 2-18 from his opening eight-over burst - and Boyce greeted his arrival with a glanced four. The left-hander was looking good and nicely timed off drives down the ground bought him a pair of threes.

Taylor was also looking compact and their solidity meant that Boje decided a change of tack was necessary - so he promptly introduced himself from the Pavilion End.

The youngster played a powerful backfoot cut for four off the left arm spinner but Boje thought he had his man shortly after when Taylor pushed forward at a delivery. The ball popped up to Tripathi at forward short-leg but he couldn't grasp the opportunity.

The two batters got through to lunch with Boyce unbeaten on 35 and Taylor on 21. They took their stand past 50 shortly after the interval.

It had been tough going with early conditions always likely to favour the seamers. Hall was particularly economical and the boundary off the final ball of his ninth over was just the fifteenth run he had conceded at that stage.

Taylor played a glorious cover drive as the score edged towards 100 and a great cut off the back foot took the score past that milestone.

Boyce cut through backward point as he moved towards his half-century but unfortunately he did not get there.

A leg-side strangle was not what two hours and forty minutes of hard work deserved, but he got a glove to a Daggett delivery and Harrison held the catch.

The left-hander warranted better but it was important his teammates built on the foundations of hard graft that he set down.

Josh Cobb came to the crease and immediately looked the part with a nice cut and a glorious straight drive. Taylor then moved past his 50 from 121 balls with a fine on drive - his seventh four - and tucked away a full toss to the mid-wicket boundary for good measure.

The batsman looked in control and a cut through point bought him another boundary. A fine drive wide of mid on took him into double figures in the boundary stakes.

Northants were trying to keep the rate down and Boje settled into a stint. The captain is a canny operator and is out of the old school of slow bowlers as he gives it plenty of flight.

He was tempting Cobb to be aggressive but when he attacked, he was sensible; a lofted drive was well-timed and easily cleared the straight fielders.

The batsman also tucked away a David Lucas full toss and the partnership was now well past fifty. A Taylor straight drive also raced to the fence but the fourth wicket came shortly after as a big inswinger from Lucas bowled Cobb for 27.

At tea, the score stood at 178-4 with Taylor on 79. The batter added another boundary after the break through cover and he followed that up with a cracking straight drive.

Tom New opened his boundary tally with a pick up over mid-wicket and knuckled down alongside Taylor, who looked as though he was moving towards his century.

However, Northants were probing away and Taylor had a reminder when he played and missed at a good Daggett delivery. The seamer then had his man the very next ball when Taylor played on. The knock had spanned 200 deliveries.

At 198-5, Taylor had done a good job but there was still work to be done. New kept battling and was joined by White. The left hander took the team to their first bonus point with an off-side stroke that went for four and repeated that feat shortly after.

It prompted Boje to take the new ball immediately and not only did the pair see it off, they attacked it with due care.

White greeted the new cherry with a stunning cover drive which raced to the ropes. A New cover drive also raced away and bought up the 50 stand. The second bonus point was then registered.

New was typically gritty and bought up his fifty from his 81st ball; the knock contained eight fours at that stage. White was also playing well and a nice flick through mid-wicket took him into the 30s.

A fine flick bought New another boundary and White played a nigh-identical shot the following over.

White looked a million dollars now and a couple of sweetly-timed off-side boundaries edged him closer to his 50. A fine straight drive from New took the stand past 100.

A cover drive from White bought up his half-century, which came from just 59 balls. There were nine fours in the innings.

The duo safely negotiated the team through to the close, which was a fine effort indeed and, in all, it was a good start for the new skipper. Hoggard will hope for more runs tomorrow before getting his first opportunity to impress with the ball.