Foxes feast on Gloucestershire

Henderson: Two wickets

LV County Championship - Division Two
Grace Road
Leicestershire 295 (T J New 63, J Lewis 4-42) & 147-1 (G P Smith 70 no) v Gloucestershire 159 (H J H Marshall 61)

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Leicestershire emphatically ended Gloucestershire's slim promotion hopes with a 329-run victory at Grace Road.

Requiring just five wickets on the final day for their sixth victory of the season, spinners Claude Henderson (3-62) and Jigar Naik (3-35) ensured the win was sealed before tea.

Gloucestershire, who resumed the final day on 79-5, still 410 runs behind, were all out for 158 with the only resistance coming from James Franklin (31) and Ed Young (38), who shared a stubborn seventh-wicket stand of 63 spread across 28 overs.

But when wily left-arm spinner Henderson had Franklin caught off bat and pad by Matthew Boyce it signalled the end for Gloucestershire, with their last four wickets falling for just seven runs.

The home side had made the perfect start to the final day when Alex Gidman, having added only one run to his overnight 28, dragged the ball back into his stumps trying to cut a delivery from Henderson.

Franklin's departure triggered the collapse, though, with Jon Lewis lbw to Naik and then Young beaten and bowled by a superb flighted delivery from the same bowler.

And when Nathan Buck had Ireland well caught by Greg Smith at slip, Leicestershire wrapped up a victory that lifts them over their opponents in Division Two.

Day Three

Leicestershire moved to the brink of victory against Gloucestershire following a career-best 158 from Greg Smith.

The 21-year-old took the plaudits on day three as he moved to a maiden championship century before steering the Foxes to 351 for four before the declaration came.

Set a huge 488 to win the visitors collapsed in the final session, losing their first three wickets for just five runs before finishing the day on 78 for five.

It was a magnificent effort from Smith who is still studying at Durham University and joined up with Leicestershire in July.

This was only his fourth championship game of the season but he has totalled 405 runs from those matches at an average of 81.

He began the third day on 70 not out and looked composed and secure as the home side steadily added to their overnight lead of 283.

Smith was given excellent support by Jacques Du Toit, who reached his 50 off 83 balls and looked in little trouble until chipping an easy catch to mid-on off Jon Lewis having reached 70. It brought to an end a second-wicket stand of 128.

By the time the declaration came Smith had batted for six and a half hours, faced 324 balls and not offered a single chance.

And Gloucestershire could hardly have made a worse start with their first three wickets falling for five runs in the space of 20 balls.

Jonathan Batty was caught at gully off Nathan Buck and then Will Porterfield fell when he drove the same bowler to mid off, and in the next over from Matthew Hoggard, Chris Dent bagged a pair when he was trapped lbw.

Hamish Marshall and Alex Gidman provided some resistance with a stand of 66 before Marshall was caught behind by Tom New trying to cut left arm spinner Claude Henderson.

It seemed that Gloucestershire's miserable day could hardly get any worse, but it did with Chris Taylor prodding a catch to silly mid-off against the bowling of Jigar Naik off the last ball of the day leaving the visitors at 78 for five, still 410 runs behind.

Day Two

Leicestershire closed day two at Grace Road on 147-1, giving them a lead of 283, after they'd bowled Division Two rivals Gloucestershire out for just 159.

Opener Greg Smith reached the close unbeaten on 70 as the Foxes forced their way into a commanding position by the halfway stage of the contest.

He put on 69 for the first wicket with Matthew Boyce (36) and then shared an unbroken stand of 78 with Jacques Du Toit, who was 34 not out at the close.

The efforts from the top order late in the day followed on from a fine bowling display from the home side, who had been dismissed for 295 on day one, that saw them claim the maximum three bonus points on offer.

Having claimed two wickets late on Tuesday, Neil Buck removed Alex Gidman to finish with figures of 3-47. Fellow seamer Nadeem Malik weighed in with two wickets, including the crucial scalp of former New Zealand batsman Hamish Marshall for a top score of 61.

Spin duo Claude Henderson, who conceded just 17 runs from his 18 overs, and Jigar Naik shared four victims between them as only four Gloucestershire batsmen made it into double figures.

Day One

Teenaged seamer Nathan Buck came alive with both bat and ball to help Leicestershire fight back on the first day of their clash with Gloucestershire at Grace Road.

The 19-year-old recorded a career best score of 26 at the end of the Foxes' first innings before claiming two wickets in as many balls at the start of the visitors' reply.

But Gloucestershire then staged their own recovery to reach 54-2 in reply to the hosts' 295 all out at the close of play.

After winning the toss and deciding to bat, Leicestershire stumbled to 36-3 and then 167-6, before wicketkeeper Tom New led the resurgence with a knock of 63.

Claude Henderson made a quick 33 off 29 balls, with 28 of those runs in boundaries, Nadeem Malik made 34 and Buck (26) was the last man out. Jon Lewis was the pick of the bowlers with 4-42.

The highly-rated Buck then struck in the third over of Gloucestershire's response, trapping Will Porterfield (five) and Chris Dent (0) lbw in consecutive deliveries.

Hamish Marhsall (19no) and captain Jonathan Batty (24no) survived at the crease until stumps.