Hoggard delight at team performance

Date: Tuesday 13 April 2010

When Matthew Hoggard took over as Leicestershire captain, some wise old pros may have forewarned him all about the stresses and strains that come with the job of being a county leader.

The cold, overcast days where your batsmen struggle to make an impression; the long, baking hot days where you sweat buckets in the field and scratch your head looking for breakthroughs.

The days where you move a fielder to a new position and the ball immediately flies through the gap you’ve just created; like the bucket with a thousand holes. Or simply the wet days where you’re frustrated in simply getting out into the field.

For Hoggard, his first game in charge included none of these negative traits! In fact, he witnessed a thoroughly professional team performance in dry - and at times warm - weather and oversaw a victory against Northamptonshire before lunch on the final day.

A win at Grace Road was a great way to start his reign at Leicestershire. And while he has been around long enough to know it isn’t always going to be like this, he can savour the moment safe in the knowledge that his presence made an immediate impact.

It could not have gone any better had he sat down with the cricketing gods before the game and produced a script. Perhaps he could have done without a few jitters on the final day but victory was never in doubt.

The skipper was understandably delighted with events. “I’m absolutely chuffed to bits,” he said. “To land a three day and one hour victory was fantastic. The boys stuck to their task throughout and losing the toss as captain was actually a big help!

“We were 50-50 as to what we were going to do and to score 395 in the first innings of our first Championship game set us up nicely.

“All the bowlers chipped in and stuck to their task too. Claude Henderson – what can you say? Six wickets in April, would you expect that from a spinner?

“I was 51-49 in favour of batting first. It was green but the wicket was hard and we leave grass on the wickets at Grace Road just to make sure the ball carries through. It didn’t do a lot; it did a bit early doors with the new ball but every pitch is supposed to do that.

“With the introduction of no heavy roller, we though there might be indentations early on they might get harder throughout the game.

We thought if we posted a good first innings total then it would get worse to bat on as the game went on. That proved correct. Your batsmen set up the games and the bowlers win it.”

Hoggard spoke of the importance of planning and sticking to those processes as the main ingredient of victory. There will always be twists and turns over four days, but having the courage of your convictions is important.

He said: “I was a little disappointed we missed out on a batting point by one run after 110 overs but we sacrificed the point because we wanted to go big. We wanted to post 400 and beyond and although it didn’t quite go to plan, that was our plan.

“We thought there’s no point losing three wickets in going for one point when you can win the game and get sixteen points.

“We played well. Wayne White got runs at seven; everyone had their eyes open and said ‘is it too high for him?’ but he played fantastically well; as did Tom New and James Taylor, who picked up where he left off last year.

“As we saw through the game the new ball did a bit but then it flattened out as the ball got softer and the bowlers had a little less energy in their bodies. But it was fantastic to get 395 and then make them follow on.

“The way we set about our task in their second innings was great. They had a 50-run partnership for the tenth wicket but you expect that. You expect partnerships at some point but we always had the belief that we would bowl them out and then knock off a small total.”

Then came the inevitable “How was it for you?” question! Although Hoggy was skipper for three days of cricket at Trent Bridge last week, only the 40-over game was real captaincy practice.

That was played to the official rules and regulations and a good test when Ali Brown and Steven Mullaney both got their eye in. In fact it was Hoggard’s reintroduction that ended the stand and allowed the team to exert some control again.

In the two-day affair, Hoggard had at least eight bowlers at his disposal and could send batsmen in as many times as he liked. Funnily enough, it was a bit harder in the Northants game!

On a purely playing level, he was more pleased with the team’s performance than his own but feels there’s plenty more to come from both himself and his team. Sensibly, he accepts there’s work to be done on all fronts.

“We called the games last week friendlies but the second one wasn’t really a game!” he said. “The first game was a proper one but the second was us fielding all day and then batting all day. We got 15 wickets in the 96 overs so it was interesting to see how the bowlers bowled.

“But I have got so much belief and backing of this team. If we keep on performing like we have done and keep doing the basics well then we are going to do well because we are capable of taking 20 wickets as we’ve shown. We’re also capable of scoring runs.

“As for me, I’ve said from the start that I want to lead from the front and take wickets. I was a bit disappointed with the way I performed this game but I’ll take a disappointing personal performance for a team victory.

“The good thing about it is that we can only get better. There is a lot of room for improvement. We know where we were lacking in this game but we have some other personnel coming into play.

“We have Andrew McDonald who is coming over as our overseas player and he will strengthen the side and there are lots of other people pushing for places. It is good to have competition and these players who have the shirts at the minute are going to have to perform.

There was a tongue-in-cheek suggestion from one broadcaster that McDonald may not get into the team following the win. Hoggard’s response?

“I think he might get in!” he said, before laughing out loud. “We need him but at the moment we are winning without him. It can go only go upwards with him in the side.

“He’s a fantastic middle-order batsman who also bowls well so he can help balance our side out. We might even put two spinners in there – who knows!”

* The team's next challenge is a match the next LV=County Championship match at Derbyshire, who had a good win against Surrey yesterday. To read Hoggy's thoughts on the opposition, and to read an interview with former Derbyshire player Wayne White, please check back tomorrow.

* The Second XI start their season at Grace Road on Wednesday, also against Derbyshire. Play begins at 11am.