Alternative match report

Mark Cosgrove bludgeoned a quickfire century to propel Glamorgan to a 10 wicket win over Leicestershire and increase their lead at the top of Division Two of the LV= County Championship.

Set 197 to win on a track that had seen 17 wickets fall on the previous day, the Australian and Gareth Rees guided the Dragons to their first win at Grace Road since 1986 with ease in just 33.5 overs, something that seemed highly unlikely when they were bowled out for 166 less than 24 hours earlier after tea on the second day.

Cosgrove smashed 19 boundaries in his unbeaten 113, which came off only 111 balls, and he was well supported by Rees, who finished on 73 not out, with 12 fours.

Earlier, David Harrison claimed career best match figures of 8-88 as the Foxes capitulated to the lowest score this season by any team in the Championship. They lost their last five wickets for only 26 runs in 8.4 overs, Harrison and young James Harris ripping through the lower order.

Resuming on 45-5, Jigar Naik fell victim to the 13th lbw decision of the game on only the fourth ball of the morning. Claude Henderson was next to go, attempting a shot over mid-wicket off Harrison that was in the air for an age before finally dropping in the hands of Tom Maynard. Nathan Buck followed, edging to slip for a duck.

The calamities continued when James Taylor, the only batsman to make double figures in Leicestershire’s second innings played the ball straight back to bowler Harris and attempted a suicidal run. Matthew Hoggard was left with no chance as Harris rolled the ball at the stumps, and the captain was dismissed without facing a ball.

Harry Gurney was the final man to go, chipping the ball straight to mid-off for Harris’ fourth wicket, conceding only 34 runs in the process. Meanwhile, Harrison finished with 4-17 as Leicestershire fell to their lowest Championship score since being bowled out for 69 at New Road by Worcestershire in 1997.

Despite this, it was not expected to be an easy chase for Glamorgan if the previous six sessions were anything to go by. But the ball was not swinging for the Foxes, and Cosgrove made a confident start, smashing Gurney through extra cover off the first ball he faced. He and Rees took full advantage of any bad balls, and they reached lunch in a comfortable position at 79-0.

Cosgrove brought up his second half century of the season in the first over after the break, as he dispatched Hoggard to boundary twice in three balls. Racing along at more than five an over, he hit Henderson for three fours in a row in the left arm spinner’s first over in the afternoon, as the target moved down quickly.

At the other end, Rees was also in fantastic form, and he reached his 50 off 77 balls. The knock included three glorious reverse sweep shots that were hammered towards the fence after uninspiring bowling from the shell-shocked Foxes attack.

Cosgrove went to his hundred in typically brutal fashion, launching Buck through midwicket. Two overs later, he did the same again as Glamorgan reached their victory target an hour after lunch on the third day.

The win was Glamorgan’s fourth in a row and gave them 19 points as they strengthened their push for promotion to the top division of the LV=County Championship.

Meanwhile, Leicestershire have now lost four in a row. They welcome Middlesex to Grace Road on Saturday, hoping to turn their fortunes around ahead of the start of the Friends Provident t20 competition.