Patient County on brink of win

Date: Sunday 11 April 2010

Leicestershire stand on the verge of an opening LV=County Championship victory against Northamptonshire following another disciplined performance on the third day of the game at Grace Road.

After claiming the final wicket in the Northants first innings with the score on 190, Matthew Hoggard enforced the follow-on and saw his bowling unit dismiss Northants for 269 in their second knock.

Wayne White - who took a Leicestershire career-best of 4-58 to go with his highest score for the Club - and Nathan Buck (3-34) led the way with the ball. And although the tail wagged to ensure victory could not be wrapped up inside three days, a victory target of 65 was more than acceptable.

The team lost Matthew Boyce shortly before the close but despite that setback, County require just another 51 runs on the last day to wrap up a 22-point win.

Patience was always going to be the name of the game because after being dismissed cheaply first time around, Northants were always going to fight and scrap hard in their second dig; it was the least to be expected.

Firstly the team had to get in a position to be able to invite Northants to bat again and last pair Andrew Hall and Lee Daggett laid down an early marker.

The visitors wanted to drag things out for as long as possible and that turned out to be the theme of the day as Northants made County work hard for their successes.

The duo saw out fifteen minutes of play before Daggett nicked Hoggard to Tom New, who held a good one-handed catch.

Their ten over period of resistance at the back end of day two and the start of Sunday was useful for Northants. It meant that batsmen were not exposed on last night and set a benchmark for the second knock.

It was never going to be easy to take wickets second time around, although Hoggard set the early standard.

There were two early appeals as Hoggard thought he had Peters leg-before and caught behind. The umpire was unmoved, though, and Peters went on to score three well-timed boundaries.

Paul Harrison also looked the part and glanced a four down to fine leg as well as playing a nice flick through mid-wicket.

It was a bright, positive start for the visitors. Good balls were kept out but there was intent to take run-scoring opportunities. This added to the subplot, for although County wanted ten wickets, they also needed to keep a lid on things.

Starting 205 behind, Northants knew that a tally of around 350 would leave a tricky final day chase for the team. That was possible on a decent track that was still not offering a great deal.

Whether to enforce the follow-on is often a delicate decision based around the potential perils of batting last, but one thing is for sure: if you ask your opponents to bat again and chip away, you’re never far away from the desired outcome.

Even if the batting side get a bit of momentum, a wicket changes the complexion quickly. That happened here as White pegged the visitors back with an important breakthrough. He bowled Harrison for 16 to get County on the board.

Then came a period where Leicestershire dominated - but couldn’t cash in. After a luckless second day, it was tempting to say Buck could not be as unlucky again.

He suffered more misfortune though with his very first delivery as after enticing Peters to nick off, New couldn't hold onto the catch.

White also could have had the second breakthrough but after Peters went hard at the ball, Boyce parried another chance over the bar. Northants were certainly getting the rub of the green and when Mal Loye edged, the ball again went through the cordon.

Peters regained composure to drive handsomely through the covers and Loye also played a nice shot in the same region. Loye was always going to be a key scalp and White ended his stay as a ball shot through and trapped him in bang in front.

The bowlers were certainly causing problems and Buck grabbed the wicket he so richly deserved. The youngster nipped one back and knocked out the off and middle stumps of Peters.

Three swift wickets was just what the doctor ordered but there was still much to be done. David Sales has traditionally done well against Leicestershire and he started well again; a cover drive was followed by a powerful pull over mid-wicket and he was off and running.

Hoggard continued to shuffle the pack to keep Northants honest. Buck again settled into an impressive spell and Henderson had a change of ends for the second innings while the captain himself had another stint.

He very nearly had a wicket as Sales drove back firmly but the seamer couldn't get his hands to an extremely sharp low half-chance.

The duo got through to lunch and Hoggard and AJ Harris both looked menacing after the break. White got a touch to a leg side ball that New got a hand to and then the batsman chipped a shot just wide of mid-wicket. A firmer struck shot over that region also went for four.

County needed to keep nagging away and Harris was the prime example that persistence pays off. After keeping a lovely away-swinging line outside off stump, Sales was tempted into having a nibble at one and Jefferson did the rest at slip.

It was a massive breakthrough; for the pair had doubled the score from 59. White continued to go well, including an exquisite pick-up shot that went for six over square leg.

He moved to a 73-ball fifty with his eighth four; he also hit that aforementioned six. White then scored his ninth and tenth fours with a pull and cover drive respectively.

Vishal Tripathi had joined White in Northants' latest line of resistance and Henderson was bought into the attack from the Pavilion End as County aimed to put their foot down and take control.

Henderson bowled a tidy first over and White – who is having a fine match - then struck to remove his namesake for a well-played 68. The batter top-edged an attempted pull and Harris added to the wicket of Sales with another decisive contribution.

He took an extremely well-judged catch at long leg to end his stay. It was a great effort and a telling moment; the Leicestershire players celebrated with the bowler, who was still in the position he caught it on the floor on the boundary!

White was bowling with good pace and aggression and the bounce he was extracting was causing all kinds of problems.

Buck then returned and picked up another vital wicket. He struck Hall on the pad with a pacy delivery and the batsman hadn't got forward; he looked bang in front.

Visiting captain Nicky Boje is a streetfighter and he came in and stroked two off-drives to the boundary. Leics kept plugging away though and the finishing line got closer.

Henderson, who added to his six first-innings victims with another consistent performance in the second knock, got another wicket before tea. Tripathi was out in a carbon copy manner of yesterday's dismissal; going back and being trapped leg-before by wily spinner.

It meant Leicestershire were hopeful of wrapping up victory inside three days and that bid received a huge boost after tea. Boje missed a White delivery and the off pole was sent cartwheeling by the on-song paceman, who now had four wickets to his name.

Still the visitors battled on. David Lucas and Jack Brooks ensured the team would have to bat again and the duo's stay at the crease was getting increasingly frustrating.

However, Henderson broke the deadlock by bowling Brooks, who had attempted to smash the ball into the leg side.

Lucas (40*) continued to work hard and Daggett (28) came in and grafted as he did in the first innings. Both men did a sterling job in ensuring Leics would have to wait for victory. As they ticked down the overs and added useful runs, the prospect of taking the extra half-hour went out of the equation.

The duo did a professional job with solid defence and some excellent strokes too. Daggett played a couple of nice off side drives while Lucas also found the boundary on a few occasions.

A Lucas four through mid-wicket bought up the 50-run partnership and County needed an end to this spirited rearguard.

It came in the shape of Buck, who enticed Daggett into a drive and Boyce held a super high catch at first slip.

It left a victory target of 65 and Jefferson and Boyce opened the innings. Jefferson played two nice strokes through mid-wicket but Boyce was dismissed by Lucas as he drove to Boje at cover.

Although it would have been nice to gain closure tonight, the position would have been gladly taken at the start of the day. Things just need to be wrapped up neatly in the morning.