Jefferson and Nico dig in after McDonald's five-for

Date: Thursday 06 May 2010

A stubborn stand between Will Jefferson and Paul Nixon was just what the doctor ordered on the third day of the LV=County Championship game against Worcestershire at Grace Road.

The duo put on an unbroken partnership worth 84 after Leicestershire were set 405 to win, and after closing on 107-1, the team will need a further 298 to win on the final day.

Jefferson made an unbeaten 60 while Nixon ended with 36 as he picked up where he left off from the first innings. It was a much-needed act of defiance and their gutsy effort in ensuring only one wicket fell in 35 overs sets up an intriguing final day.

Worcestershire declared on 277-9 earlier in proceedings with Andrew McDonald the pick of the Leicestershire attack. The all-rounder took 5-40 in a good display of accurate bowling which was succintly summarised by the fact his wickets came bowled, leg-before and caught behind.

County would have been hopeful of chasing less after gaining an early wicket in the day but an enterprising knock by Worcestershire batsman Alexei Kervezee swung momentum back towards the visitors.

The Namibian-born batter, who has played plenty of international cricket for Holland, did extremely well and was desperately unfortunate to fall one run shy of a maiden first-class hundred. Ben Smith chipped in with an unbeaten 51 as the visiting batsmen set Leicestershire a daunting target.

Still, they had four sessions to get the runs and set themselves up nicely in the 35 overs remaining in the day.

Despite it being dull and overcast first thing, play got underway on time. The team needed a good start with Daryl Mitchell and Moeen Ali resumingwith their side 189 runs to the good. Indeed, the very first ball gave Matthew Hoggard plenty of encouragement as it reared up off a length and struck Moeen on the glove.

The batsman negotiated it safely but his partner Mitchell suffered one that came from the extreme opposite end of the spectrum. He got one that shot along the ground and Nathan Buck trapped him leg-before before the visitors had added to their overnight total.

Inconsistent bounce is not what you want to see when having to bat last but this was a one-off dismissal. Indeed, there were signs that the wicket was flattening out as the day went on.

Moeen got the Pears on the board on day three with a glance and a plesant drive through extra although he was fortunate to escape with an edge that flew over the cordon.

Kervezee got off the mark with a driven boundary and the duo had to battle hard in the face of some accurate bowling. The Dutchman had to fend off a rising Hoggard delivery but played a number of elegant cover drives as well as defending stoutly.

Wayne White, who suffered a broken finger yesterday, came on at the Bennett End for a fiery burst. Kervezee was up for the challenge and although Moeen appeared to be the key wicket, it was Kervezee doing the bulk of the scoring.

He contributed 35 out of the 50-stand, which was bought up in the 36th over, and drove squarely for four shortly after. A break for bad light followed when the already gloomy conditions took an even worse turn.

Rain also fell to prevent any further play before lunch and when the players did re-emerge, Leicestershire again made an early breakthrough in the session.

Moeen was leg-before to McDonald upon the resumption and that left Worcestershire on 131-4 at that stage. It ended the 69-run stand and bought Smith to the crease.

There was a huge leg-before shout against the former Fox first ball but it was judged to be sliding down the leg side. Kervezee continued to go well and bought up a 59-ball fifty with his eighth four.

Smith whipped a stroke through mid-wicket as the score pased 150 and Kervezee took on Claude Henderson when he entered the attack. The batsman struck powerfully over mid on as he moved into the sixties.

The duo were compiling runs and were moving like grease lightning between the wickets. Kervezee was also finding the boundary with regularity as the partnership went past the half-century mark.

Smith only scored one four in getting to 30 but his nippy running and general busyness was causing Hoggard's men a headache. Smith then broke the boundary shackles with a powerful pull for four over mid-wicket.

Buck was still coming in with spirit but the youngster was getting no luck. Hoggard was also out of fortune at the Pavilion End and both batsmen moved towards milestones. Smith scored his third four with a deft pull wide of mid-wicket as he went towards fifty and Kervezee stroked through cover to move within one of a ton.

Unfortunately for the young man, he was trapped leg-before he could get to the landmark. Ironically, it also ended the partnership one shy of three figures and was a needed breakthrough for Leicestershire and Buck, who deserved his third wicket.

Ben Scott had a stroke of luck when edging through the slips to the vacant first slip region and generally led a charmed life as he looked to add quick runs. McDonald ended the knock when he nipped one back and the keeper played on.

Gareth Andrew could have gone first ball when McDonald rapped him on the pads but the batsman lived to tell the tale. The Australian did not have to wait long to claim his third wicket though as Tom New held a blinding catch when Andrew nicked wide to his left.

His fourth wicket came next ball when Richard Jones played on. Jack Shantry survived the hat-trick ball but fell shortly after when McDonald trapped the batsman leg-before.

Amid the chaos of wickets falling at the other end, Smith moved to a 100-ball half-century and struck those three aforementioned fours in the process. The visitors declared just before tea on 277-9.

It left lots of hard work and there was an early scare when Boyce was hit on the pad. The batsman got the benefit and he settled in alongside Jefferson, who played extremely well. The right-hander played two nice strokes to the boundary as he got going.

Life remained tough for the batsmen and Richardson was finding decent movement from the Pavilion End. The visitors were threatening and Boyce nicked an away swinger as the first wicket fell on 23.

Then came a priceless partnership between Jefferson and Nixon. Jefferson stroked down the ground for four as he continued to go nicely. Nixon took a painful rap to his hand in the 14th over from Jones but typically kept going and glanced a four in the next over delivered by the young paceman.

Jefferson was playing some excellent strokes and drove through mid off before striking two more boundaries. Nixon also pulled over the fine leg fielder for four before Jefferson stroked handsomely through the covers.

The opener played a wonderful drive down the ground to move into the forties and then creamed one through extra. A glance off his pads bought up an 11th boundary and a 86-ball fifty.

His 12th came up just after with a drive through backward point and the 100 was up in the 30th. Moeen's off spin was introduced with five overs remaining as the visitors changed tack but Nixon not only helped to stave off that threat but also added a pulled four in the final effort.

It was uplifting stuff from the pair. Hopefully there will be more of the same tomorrow as Leicestershire resume their run chase.