DAY 2: Leicestershire hit 415 in first innings at Grace Road
2 September 2015
Academy graduate Aadil Ali hit a first-class career best 80 as Leicestershire scored more than 400 in an innings for only the second time at Grace Road this season.
It was a maiden championship half-century for the 20-year-old, who held the innings together impressively after Gloucestershire’s seamers had taken four wickets for the addition of just 24 runs before lunch.
Resuming on 127-2, overnight batsmen Dan Redfern and Rob Sayer took the score to 177 before Redfern, needing just a single to register his first championship half-century of the season, failed to keep a drive down and was caught at cover by Peter Hanscomb off the bowling of David Payne.
Sayer, having come in as nightwatchman, had reached a first-class career best 34 when he tried to clip a Hamish Marshall delivery through midwicket and was given leg before, and on the same score, Leicestershire skipper Mark Cosgrove drove hard at a Payne out-swinger and edged a catch to opposite number Will Tavare in the gully for 12.
Niall O’Brien also went quickly, edging a Payne out-swinger to wicket-keeper Gareth Roderick, but all-rounder Wayne White, with 19 from 20 deliveries, joined Ali in taking the Foxes through to the break without further loss.
After a heavy lunchtime shower had caused the resumption to be delayed by just under an hour, White and Ali extended their seventh wicket partnership to 56 before White inside-edged a catch behind off the bowling of Norwell for 38.
Clint McKay then hit five boundaries in a run-a-ball 29 before edging an attempted drive at Norwell and being caught at second slip, but Ali continued to bat patiently before accelerating once he had passed 50. A maiden century looked to be on the cards until he skied an attempt to hit Marshall back over his head and was caught by Norwell at mid-on.
Ben Raine’s hard-hitting 51 saw the Foxes past 400, but Will Tavare and Chris Dent saw Gloucestershire through to the close without losing a wicket.
Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson said he was pleased with the way his bowlers stuck at the task, especially as there has been some sickness in the camp, with Jack Taylor unable to take the field.
“Hamish Marshall rolled back the years, and it’s now up our batsman to bat as well as Leicestershire did in difficult conditions,” he said.
