Groundhog day for County

Date: Tuesday 11 May 2010

What a difference an innings makes. After being bowled out for just 102 at Bristol, Leicestershire closed on 122-0 second time around as Matthew Boyce and Paul Nixon made unbeaten fifties in the LV=County Championship match against Gloucestershire.

After dismissing Gloucestershire for 376 with Matthew Hoggard taking a four-for, County were 67-2 at one stage in their first knock with Will Jefferson going well.

However, for the second year in succession, Leicestershire suffered a costly first innings batting collapse at Bristol.

The opener top-scored with 51 but his wicket was sandwiched inbetween four others in the space of 25 balls as the team slipped to 73-7. Claude Henderson (28) helped the score into three figures.

It was like Groundhog Day but the side showed great resilience to make a much better fist of their second innings. It was a real gutsy effort from both Boyce (59*) and Nixon (50*), who shared a century stand to keep a buoyant home attack at bay.

With two days to go though, Leicestershire still trail by 152 runs and have a massive task to gain a positive result after going without a batting point for a third game in succession.

There was an eerie sense of deja vu about proceedings. Last season Boyce and Tom New were going great guns before lunch at Nevil Road but the team went from 83-0 to 96-8 in the afternoon session.

Again it was the Gloucestershire seamers that did the damage. Last year Anthony Ireland claimed a six-for and he was one of three bowlers to claim three wickets today.

James Franklin and Gemaal Hussain were the other two bowlers to do the damage while Jon Lewis claimed one.

It was Ireland who took the key scalp of Jefferson, who scored exactly half the team’s runs and battled on despite hurting his ankle after lunch when attempting a quick single.

While that period of play resembled last season’s, the opening passage was also strangely similar to that of the first day. Leicestershire claimed two quick wickets and were then frustrated by a gritty partnership.

Hoggard, who finished with his best figures for Leicestershire, claimed the important breakthrough of Franklin. The New Zealander has been in good nick this term and he edged an away swinger through to New.

Nathan Buck also struck to remove Lewis. The seamer has been known to score quick runs but the youngster dismissed the batsman before he got his eye in courtesy of a catch by Jefferson at second slip.

Steve Snell - who is batting at eight but not keeping wicket - and Hussain, who has made a good start to the campaign with the ball, then combined to halt the charge.

Hussain was proving useful with the bat here and a square drive for four bought up Gloucestershire's fourth batting bonus point.

Snell also played well and he pulled a six over mid-wicket as the hosts continued on their way. The batsman fell for 28 as AJ Harris struck. The seamer had the batsman caught by Boyce at extra cover and it ended the stand two runs shy of fifty.

Henderson then wrapped up the innings by taking a return catch as Hussain looked to add some quick runs. Like his colleague, he made 28.

Jefferson and Boyce were left to face a tricky 45-minute period against the new ball and the right hander started with two early boundaries. However, Leicestershire couldn’t get through to lunch and lost two wickets in consecutive Franklin overs before the break.

The New Zealander was bowling well and Boyce was caught by Jon Batty after touching a delivery that nipped away. Nixon also fell to the Kiwi all-rounder after edging, this time Chris Dent held the catch at second slip.

Jefferson looked solid in making an unbeaten 24. He went into lunch alongside Taylor, who was unbeaten on three at that stage with the team on 38-2.

Jefferson continued to play well through the off side after the break despite suffering the ankle problem and continued to find the boundary with regularity. Taylor dug in alongside the batsman and a partnership was developing.

However, when Taylor nicked Hussain to Batty, it triggered a wicket burst. Andrew McDonald chopped an Ireland ball onto his stumps and although Jefferson moved to a 62-ball half-century, he was also bowled by the former Zimbabwe international.

From 67-3, the score was now 73-5 and worse was to follow.

Two more wickets fell without another run being added as Jacques du Toit was caught by Alex Gidman off Lewis and New became Ireland’s third wicket when gloving a ripsnorter that he tried to leave.

In total, five wickets had fallen for six runs and the innings was in desperate trouble. Henderson added a swift unbeaten 28 with four boundaries but he lost Buck and Harris to the bowling of Hussain, who has been a real find this season.

Buck was caught behind from a rising delivery and Harris bowled and when Henderson became Batty’s fifth victim from an attempted pull, Franklin had claimed a three-for and County were all out within 34.3 overs.

Leicestershire were asked to follow on after tea and there were still 43 overs in the day remaining in an extended final session.

Boyce and Nixon went out to repair the damage with Jefferson still struggling and both were extremely watchful throughout. The pair battled hard in seeing off the new ball, which was taken by Ireland in the second innings.

Boundaries were hard to come by but that mattered not; the left-handed duo just needed to occupy the crease to give County a foothold in proceedings.

Both batsmen did score fours when the opportunity presented itself and the duo’s stand went passed 50. The four main seamers were seen off and Hamish Marshall – who bowled well at Grace Road last season in the four-day game - was then called upon.

Gidman also utilised his own medium pacers and the off-spin of Chris Taylor before stumps but Nixon and Boyce were in determined mood.

The batters each made half-centuries before the close. Boyce, who drove well when the opportunity presented itself, was first to the milestone from 108 balls. The knock was just shy of two-and-a-half hours and included six boundaries.

Nixon moved to his own fifty from 137 balls. He hit four fours - including one cracking pull - and the innings spanned 159 minutes at that stage.

The duo took the team to the close and it was a crucial act of defiance. Although there is lots of work to be done, their battling qualities were just what was needed.