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Captain Cosgrove guides Foxes to Festival win

22 July 2016

The powerful figure of Leicestershire skipper Mark Cosgrove was critical of his Leicestershire side when they lost at the Cheltenham Fesitval in 2015. A year on, an innings of 56 took his team from being firmly on the back foot to within sight of victory on another fluctuating day at the Brewin Dolphin Cheltenham Festival.

In the end they were set 181 to win, after Gloucestershire were all out just before lunch for 215. Two early wickets raised hopes of another Festival success before half centuries from Cosgrove and Paul Horton broke the back of Leicestershire's victory target which they achieved midway through the final session, winning the match by six wickets.

The question among those arriving early at the College Ground was whether the match would see any play on the fourth day. Runs had been coming at around 100 per session, but clumps of wickets had seen the game advance a long way by the third morning, with Gloucestershire four wickets down in their second innings and only 98 runs ahead.

Skipper Michael Klinger and Jack Taylor negotiated the first 35 minutes, Klinger completing his half century from exactly 100 balls with seven fours. As had been the case throughout the game, there was a fair quota of playing and missing but 22 runs had been added before Ben Raine and Clint McKay burst through the remaining batting, both taking two wickets in an over. Klinger pushed at Raine and was caught at the wicket, and Taylor was adjudged lbw.

McKay got a ball to brush Miles' pad and get another lbw decision, and the Australian bowled a beauty to David Payne to knock out his off stump. Liam Norwell survived the hat trick but when he was bowled by McKay five wickets had gone down for 12 runs in 33 balls. The lead looked well below par at 132 as Josh Shaw walked to the wicket.

What followed perhaps indicated that the pitch was finally easing. Shaw and the previously becalmed Benny Howell added 48 in less than 10 overs, with the young Yorkshireman making a career best 29 from a mix of strong shots and the odd moment of good fortune.

Every run was cheered until Shaw chipped Charlie Shreck to Horton at wide mid on. It left Leicestershire two overs to bat before lunch, long enough for David Payne to remove Angus Robson with a smart catch at second slip by Will Tavare.

Liam Norwell then dismissed Neil Dexter shortly afterwards, only for Leicestershire skipper Mark Cosgrove to quell his normal attacking instincts and join Horton in a case study of leaving balls they didn't need to play at.

Their shot selection was among the most secure of the match, with the occasional boundary - sometimes off an edge - steadily building the score. Fewer and fewer balls were genuinely beating the bat, and Cosgrove worked the ball well off his legs as Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger switched his quicker bowlers searching for a breakthrough.

Norwell nearly yorked Cosgrove just before he reached his half century from 88 balls with seven boundaries, and another "what if" moment arrived when Graeme van Buuren's left arm spin broke a stand of 108 in 31 overs by having Cosgrove caught by Tavare at short mid wicket.

Leicestershire were within sight of 20 points by this stage however, although Horton was also out before victory was secured, lbw to van Buuren for 73. It was Pettini and O'Brien who saw them over the line, and considerably tightened up the promotion race in Division 2.

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