Six of the best for Henderson

Date: Saturday 10 April 2010

Claude Henderson experienced the joy of six as Leicestershire continued to dominate the LV=County Championship opener against Northamptonshire at Grace Road.

The slow left armer took an awesome haul of 6-19 from 18 overs to turn the game in Leicestershire’s favour, with Northants closing on 179-9 in reply to County’s 395.

Wayne White had earlier posted a career-best score of 89 as the team posted a substantial first-innings target, with Tom New making 82.

The duo shared 139 for the sixth wicket and after New’s dismissal, momentum stalled briefly but AJ Harris (20*) helped White add 32 for the last wicket to add some impetus before the team took to the field.

Harris followed up that good work with two quick wickets. Mal Loye (44) and David Sales (39) then settled and as they were looking ominously good, Henderson weighed in with crucial blows either side of tea to remove both dangermen as part of a marvellous display of spin bowling.

In all, it was a fine performance for the second day running as Leicestershire continued to set high standards on another glorious day.

The day started with New and White resuming their partnership and there was an early scare. New slipped after being sent back by his partner but Paul Harrison couldn't collect the ball cleanly and thankfully no damage was done.

The ball was certainly doing a bit early on but New and White dug in again. New played one lovely shot through cover to get things moving along. White also found the boundary and New launched into a great straight drive to move into the 80s.

With the bonus point overs now dropping to 110, it was nip and tuck as to whether Leicestershire would get to 350 in the nick of time.

White slammed a drive through backward point to take the team towards the landmark, although it was Northants who were next to strike on the bonus point front.

New played a David Lucas delivery onto his stumps just 18 shy of a deserved century and it ended a fabulous 139-run stand.

White kept the charge up with another four placed wide of the cordon and Henderson also played one through that region. After an absorbing 110th over, Leicestershire were tantalisingly close to a fourth batting point on 349-6.

Lucas then struck a quick double blow; bowling Henderson and trapping Nathan Buck leg-before first ball with a full delivery. That bought in new captain Matthew Hoggard for his first innings for the Club; he safely staved off the hat-trick ball.

A great cover drive for four from White took him past his PB and another super drive also raced to the fence. The all-rounder then slammed a pull over mid-on as he moved onto 80.

Hoggard opened his County account with a nudge through mid-wicket but he became Lucas' fifth wicket of the innings. The left armer banged one in and Hoggard got a leading edge to Sales, who ran around from second slip to take the catch.

Harris came to the wicket and he and White – who was unfazed and kept going about his business sensibly - added some useful runs. Harris played a lovely cover drive off Jack Brooks which raced away and also played a powerful pulled four which registered his third boundary.

Northants were desperate to wrap things up and Nicky Boje thought he had Harris when a little inside edge flew to Vishal Tripathi at short-leg, but he couldn't quite cling on.

However, the final wicket fell in the next over. White, who had played so well for 89, nibbled at an Andrew Hall delivery and the safe hands of Sales took the catch at slip.

The visitors would have been hoping for a solid start to their reply but they didn’t get it. Harris and Hoggard both bowled beautifully, and while the new skipper was unfortunate not to gain reward, Harris got rid of both openers early on.

Firstly, Harrison edged to Matthew Boyce at slip, where the fielder did a juggling act before finally clinging on! Will Jefferson then held a good low catch to dismiss Stephen Peters.

Loye and Sales then dug in to thwart the attack. Both were playing their first Championship innings for Northants for some time; Loye had returned to Wantage Road from Lancashire over the winter and Sales missed the whole of 2009 with a troublesome knee injury.

Still, they looked as though they had never been away. Loye played a number of pleasant drives while Sales also picked off runs when the opportunity arose.

The next wicket was going to be huge and it was the introduction of Henderson that proved to be the turning point.

Sales couldn’t resist an early drive at the spinner, who held a good low return catch. That was a pre-tea boost, and when Hoggard claimed his first Leicestershire wicket just after the break, the team had chiselled an opening.

It was an important breakthrough too. Hoggard took the wicket of Rob White, who can get away from you quickly once he gets his eye in. The batsman feathered a delivery down the leg side and New held the catch.

That opened an end up, but Henderson then got the key wicket to ensure that not only did Northants have two batters at the crease, but they had lost their anchorman too.

It came courtesy of a fantastic catch from James Taylor. Loye pushed forward and Taylor took a great diving effort at short leg.

Henderson was certainly enjoying himself in the early season sunshine and then trapped debutant Tripathi leg-before. The batsman went back and was dead in front.

It left visiting captain Boje and last year's star man Hall to repair the damage and the experienced duo - who have been there and seen it plenty of times before - provided the expected resistance.

Young Buck, who had earlier sent down seven overs for just 12 runs during a fiery, aggressive - but ultimately luckless - spell, returned to suffer more misfortune.

The teenager bowled his heart out – but could he buy a bit of luck? The answer was a firm no; he beat the outside edge a couple of times and when Buck found the inside edge of both batsmen, the ball twice flew past the stumps and went for four.

The poor lad must have run over two dozen black cats on his journey in this morning. Henderson, though, was enjoying one of those afternoons where everything went right.

Maybe not everything; Boje decided to take on the economical bowler and launched him for six over mid on. Still, maybe this was a blessing in disguise.

The adrenaline must have been flowing because Boje then played an uncharacteristic swipe at the next ball. It skewed into the bright blue sky and Buck took a good catch at cover.

Henderson celebrated with a knowing look as if to say ‘you don’t do that twice, son’ and his fifth and sixth wickets duly followed as he had Lucas leg-before and Brooks caught by Taylor, who was again stationed in front of the bat.

Hall and Daggett saw things through to the close. However, it was very much Leicestershire’s day. It may be tougher to prise wickets out second time around but the team are certainly in a cracking position as they enter day three.