Leicestershire off to winning start

Date: Monday 05 April 2010

A perfectly paced innings from Leicestershire ensured Matthew Hoggard’s reign got off to a winning start in the 40-over friendly against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on Easter Monday.

After Nathan Buck took 4-23 from eight outstanding overs, James Taylor (68*) helped to guide the side to their target of 198.

Taylor's stands of 66 with Paul Nixon (47) and 61 with Josh Cobb (24) were critical to the outcome. A final flourish with Tom New (16*) saw the side over the finishing line.

Whereas the Notts innings was frantic and exciting – their 197 came with 6.2 overs unused – the Foxes were steady and went about their task intelligently. The team were duly rewarded for their patience.

The weather finally relented and a sizeable crowd enjoyed a good day’s cricket at Trent Bridge, which looked in excellent nick for early April.

From the Foxes squad of twelve who travelled, AJ Harris was a late withdrawal. Hoggard got an early opportunity to get into the action as the Outlaws batted first.

The Notts innings was certainly a thrill a minute. They scored at a brisk pace and found the short boundary on the Bridgford Road side of the ground with regularity but consistent wickets ensured their progress was stemmed.

After slipping to 65-5, a quickfire century stand between Ali Brown (62) and Steven Mullaney (53) put the Outlaws in control of the game. However, the Foxes chipped away, kept their composure and restricted their opponents to 197.

Early on, the new skipper bowled nicely in tandem with Buck, who got his season off to a flying start with three quick wickets.

The young paceman, who impressed during England under 19s World Cup campaign, really hit the ground running with a double wicket maiden.

Firstly, he trapped Matthew Wood leg before and then ripped out Alex Hales’ middle stump with a beauty.

Hoggard and Buck continued to pose problems. Samit Patel flashed Buck just past the outstretched Will Jefferson but he settled to take nine runs off the fourth over.

The batsman then pulled a six. Neil Edwards also played himself in and drove exquisitely through mid-on.

Notts were in further trouble in the eighth over though. Patel drove expansively at Buck and the youngster had his third wicket as Sam Cliff took a great catch running round from the third man boundary.

It meant at the end of the first powerplay, Notts were 32-3. Ali Brown then flicked a couple of fours off his pads down to fine leg and Edwards, who was batting well, found the boundary at mid-on again.

Buck bowled a great line with beautiful shape and in his opening spell took 3-18 off five overs with two maidens.

Wayne White then came into the action and a lovely ball which shaped away from Edwards found the outside edge. New did the rest.

Brown was looking ominous though and drove powerfully through mid-off. He then played a similar stroke through cover.

The recovery led by Brown and Read lasted only until the 14th over. Cliff sent down an absolute jaffa that Read snicked through to New.

Brown continued to use attack as the best form of defence and slammed a drive just over Jefferson at cover. The fielder got a hand to it but it was travelling like a missile.

The scoreboard read 73-5 after 15 overs and everything settled down as Brown and Mullaney had a few sighters.

However, both wanted to attack when the opportunity arose and Mullaney cut aerially for four in the 18th.

He also pulled a stroke to the boundary and the score moved onto 102-5 at the halfway stage as Brown played a Staffordshire cut down to fine leg.

The batsmen were now upping the tempo and the impressive Mullaney swept a six. Brown got away with a lofted drive off the returning Hoggard and the duo took their stand past 50 in the process.

A chipped shot also found its way to the short boundary – this time for six – and suddenly Notts were gaining momentum.

The dangerous Brown clipped two down to fine leg to bring up his half-century from 43 balls with eight fours and a six.

Mullaney pulled a mighty six and a couple of driven fours from both batsmen ensured 17 came from the 23rd over.

It meant that 40 had come from three overs and the balance of power had shifted. A straight six from Brown bought up the 150 and the 100-run partnership came up shortly afterwards.

The Foxes needed to stop the bleeding and Hoggard did that with a critical blow. Brown was trying to work the ball down to fine leg and was yorked by the experienced bowler as he claimed his first wicket for Leicestershire.

It was a huge breakthrough; for 62 runs had come from a costly five-over period. Mullaney then moved past fifty from 41 balls with five fours and three sixes.

The departure of one settled batsman often brings the downfall of the other though and that was again the case here. After Brown departed, Mullaney was also on his way back as Cliff judged a smart catch at long on from the bowling of Henderson.

A third blow then swiftly followed in the space of seven runs and three overs as Graeme White chipped a catch to Nixon at cover off the returning Buck.

It was certainly all-action and although the rate was well above a run a ball, eight wickets had fallen in the first 27 overs.

That meant Paul Franks and Luke Fletcher needed to bat the overs out; so accumulation was the name of the game.

Buck finished his allocation with 4-23 off eight; a fine effort from the young man.

Franks and Fletcher were content to take singles but Fletcher was then trapped leg-before by Henderson. The bowler stepped right across his stumps and missed a straight one.

Franks used that as a cue to have a pop and pulled a six in the 34th over. However, he fell caught behind in the next to become Henderson’s (3-43) third victim and that ended the innings.

The Foxes needed five an over and made a solid start to their reply. Jefferson opened his Leicestershire account with a driven four through extra. Matthew Boyce got off the mark with a four down to third man.

Boyce then pulled Ryan Sidebottom for four in the fifth but fell in the next over. The ball shaped away and the left-hander was out caught behind off Fletcher.

That bought Nixon to the crease and Jefferson found the boundary through mid-on in the seventh.

After the first powerplay block, the team had moved onto 27-1. Jefferson then drove handsomely for four in the next and the duo continued to build patiently.

Unfortunately, Jefferson fell in the next over; trapped leg-before by Franks for 23. Taylor - who was linking up with the team after representing the MCC against Durham in Dubai - came in and pushed a stroke through mid-wicket to open his boundary tally and that shot bought up the fifty.

It was not easy going with some parsimonious bowling. Mullaney was again in the thick of the action with some scrooge-like stuff.

The duo continued to construct sensibly though and Nixon took on Samit Patel when he entered the attack. The batsman played three trademark reverse-sweeps; two sailed handsomely into the stands and another went for four.

Taylor greeted White’s arrival into the attack by cutting powerfully for four and a single off the next ball bought up the hundred.

However, although the duo looked entrenched, a wicket fell needlessly in the 25th over. Taylor called his teammate through for a sharp single and Nixon was scrambling for the crease.

He didn’t make it despite a valiant dive and a fine knock of 47 came to an end. It ended a good stand.

Cobb came in and he and Taylor continued to push singles. Taylor also pulled out a great reverse-sweep off White in the 29th to inject a little momentum too. Ten runs came off that particular over.

Five came off the next and with ten overs to go, 62 runs were needed. Then the young duo turned the game in favour of the Foxes.

Taylor pulled the returning Sidebottom for four as ten were taken from the England bowler’s comeback over.

The foot was on the accelerator and Cobb pulled Fletcher for six to the short boundary. Taylor played a similar shot to move to his half-century, which came from the 55th ball faced. It was his fifth boundary.

The sixth four followed shortly after as he deposited a full toss to the ropes. It bought up a swift 50-run stand and the rate was ever-decreasing.

Notts gave themselves a boost when Fletcher had Cobb caught at mid-off but at that stage only 28 were required from 6.1 overs.

Taylor and New continued to chip away but Notts did not give up. The target was reduced to twelve off the last two overs.

A single and dot gave the hosts an outside chance, but New then pulled to the mid-wicket boundary and hit a two to ease the tension in the gloom.

It meant four were needed off the last over. New’s cover drive off the first ball sealed an impressive win.