Nixon battles but Worcs on top

Date: Wednesday 05 May 2010

Despite the best efforts of Paul Nixon and an early double wicket burst, Leicestershire have plenty of work to do at the halfway stage against Worcestershire in the LV=County Championship match at Grace Road.

Nixon made a pugnacious 74 from 210 balls in a stay of more than four hours at the crease but Leicestershire finished with a first-innings deficit of 127 after being bowled out for 181. Worcestershire were reduced to 10-2 in their second innings at one stage but closed on 62 without further loss.

That gives a handy lead of 189 going into day three and that was largely down to sterling work from their bowlers; most notably Jack Shantry, who was the pick of the attack with a career-best 5-49.

Matthew Hoggard and Nathan Buck struck early blows as they did first time around, but to continue the theme of the opening innings, Daryl Mitchell and Moeen Ali then combined to negate the threat of the home attack.

Earlier in proceedings, Leicestershire lost an early wicket and a steady flow followed on an overcast day where the ball nipped around. The surface offered a bit and it was tough going for the batsmen.

It was a situation tailor-made for Nixon's battling qualities and the left-hander did not disappoint during a typically hard-working knock. There was also good resistance from Tom New and Claude Henderson down the order but the team did not really recover from being 47-3 and 81-5.

Shantry did the bulk of the damage. The left armer, who has a highly unorthodox action and almost looks as though he is bowling off the wrong foot, extracted movement bowling both over and around the wicket.

When coming around the wicket, the seamer managed to get movement away from the bat despite the natural angle which generally takes the ball back in. The brother of Glamorgan's Adam bowled 20 overs either side of lunch and took 4-44 in a profitable spell. Fellow young seamer RichardJones also bowled well and took 3-49 in total.

Leicestershire resumed 299 runs behind and Matthew Boyce got off the mark with a driven four through extra cover. It was a tough opening session as the visiting bowlers found bounce and movement.

Will Jefferson did not add to his overnight tally though as he was snared leg-before by Jones. The batsman offered no stroke and the ball ducked back to trap the batsman. It was tough going for Boyce and Nixon; the pitch was offering a bit and Jones was bowling with good pace and bounce.

Alan Richardson was accurate and extracted movement and the duo needed to play well to ensure no further loss occurred in the opening half-hour. Jones got one to lift alarmingly and Boyce did well to limbo underneath it. Nixon then pulled the youngster for four and Boyce drove to the fence as the batsmen settled in.

Worcestershire were making life difficult though and a quick double breakthrough put the team in trouble. Boyce fell to a brute of a ball as Jones got another to bounce and the batsman simply couldn't get out of the way this time.

Nixon kept going and drove Shantry for four. Taylor also played down the ground to the boundary but fell to the next ball when edging one from the left-hander on the drive.

That left the score on 47-3 and Andrew McDonald was new to the crease. Nixon, meanwhile, added to his tally with a cracking on drive and a powerful cut.

McDonald got away with a two and a four glanced down to fine leg and then played a super drive through mid-off. Nixon also played a stroke past the bowler as the board ticked over but the team lost their fourth wicket when McDonald edged one that bounced from Shantry.

The left armer, who was still moving the ball away despite coming around the wicket, found lift and Mitchell did the rest at second slip. The team were hopeful of a solid partnership after lunch but Shantry struck for a third time by trapping Jacques du Toit leg-before.

There was also a big shout next ball when New came to the wicket but this time the appeal was unsuccessful. Nixon and New both stroked through cover to register boundaries and when four byes came the 100 was up.

New again drove well through cover to move into double figures and a powerful cut also went to the ropes. The keeper was looking in good touch but became Richardson's first wicket with the score on 124. The seamer found the edge and Jaques took the catch at gully.

Nixon moved to a typically hard-fought 50 from 140 balls; he hit eight fours in the process. Wayne White joined him and after taking a painful rap on the glove, he got off the mark with a square drive that went for four.

White fell for seven though when another Shantry away swinger enticed the batsman to nick behind to Scott. That left the score on 135-7 and Henderson came to the wicket.

The pair saw off Shantry - who took a well-earned breather - and took the score past 150. Henderson belted a couple of cover drives and also nicked over the cordon as the duo formed a partnership. Henderson played a plucky knock of 23 but he fell to an excellent diving catch by Jaques in the gully off Richardson.

Nixon continued to play well and drove down the ground for four. Nathan Buck combined with the left-hander to take the score to 176-8 at tea. A shorthand jab from Nixon flew for four shortly after the break but he was bowled by Jones for 74 shortly afterwards.

It ended a gritty knock and Buck was then caught behind to give Shantry his fifth wicket and leave Worcestershire in a good position.

The team needed a reaction with 25 overs remaining in the day. Hoggard immediately struck by removing Jaques leg-before for a pair and Buck had Solanki caught by Taylor at cover following a loose stroke.

Mitchell and Moeen then batted well in tandem as they had done in the first innings. They rode their luck at time in the face of some excellent bowling from both Hoggard and Buck.

Buck thought he had Moeen caught behind off a possible inside edge from Moeen, but New couldn't quite cling on to a diving effort. Hoggard also beat the bat on a number of occasions.

White also steamed in and ran through the pain barrier after suffering a finger injury when batting. McDonald had a big appeal for caught behind just before the close but Mitchell survived before play ended because of bad light.

It was certainly the visitors' day and County will need a positive reaction tomorrow to put the pressure back on. There is a long way to go and Leicestershire will be determined to have a good third day.