Leicestershire battle back against Glamorgan
Tuesday 14 April 2015 07:03, UK
Angus Robson and Ned Eckersley made the most of a placid Grace Road deck as Leicestershire battled back against Glamorgan in their LV= County Championship Division Two opener.
Robson and Eckersley put on 169 for the second wicket as the home side closed on 202-1 in reply to Glamorgan's 513-9 declared.
Opener Robson, who scored 1,086 championship runs for the Foxes last season, closed on 82 and Eckersley on 81 with the visiting bowlers finding very little life in the pitch.
Earlier, Will Bragg failed to capitalise and make a big score, adding only seven to his overnight 113 before being trapped LBW by Atif Sheikh, claiming his third wicket.
But Chris Cooke scored 48 and David Lloyd secured his maiden first-class 50 before captain Jacques Rudolph declared.
Leicestershire lost Dan Redfern for 24, but Graham Wagg's wicket proved to be the only one for Glamorgan as Robson and Eckersley made hay.
In the only other Division Two game, all-rounder David Willey showed signs of why he was being lined up for an England place with three wickets in one over for Northants against Gloucestershire.
Willey's 2014 season was destroyed by a back injury, but the left-armer appears to be coming back to his best and he took 4-72 as the County Ground visitors were bowled out for 296, a deficit of 37.
Azharullah did most of the damage earlier in the Gloucestershire innings, taking the wickets of Will Tavare (34), Chris Dent (40) and Gareth Roderick, who made a breezy 56 off 62 balls.
On 296-6, they looked set for a handy first innings lead, but Willey had other ideas as he dismissed James Fuller for 35 and then Craig Miles and Liam Norwell for ducks in the 82nd over of their innings.
Geraint Jones was bowled by Rory Kleinveldt for a fine 80 on the same score as Gloucestershire lost their last four wickets without adding a run.
Miles, who took 6-63 in Northants' first knock, made it eight wickets for the match in their reply as he accounted for the dangerous Richard Levi (13) and fellow opener Stephen Peters for 16.
But skipper Alex Wakely and Rob Newton put on an unbeaten 34 for the third wicket, and by stumps the home side led by 105 runs with eight second innings wickets remaining.
