Gloucestershire trail Leicestershire heading into final day
3 September 2015
Gloucestershire still needed 17 runs to avoid the follow-on, with two wickets remaining in their first innings, when bad light ended play early on the third day of their county championship match against Leicestershire at Grace Road.
It was an impressive effort from the Leicestershire seamers, following on from a similarly determined showing from their batsmen in compiling a first innings score of over 400 on a wicket which, while slow, has also had plenty in it for the bowlers.
Resuming on 22-0, Chris Dent and Will Tavare took the score on to 51 before Tavare, perhaps a little unfortunately, was given out caught down the leg-side by wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien off the bowling of Ben Raine.
Heavy cloud made the light less than ideal, and Gareth Roderick appeared not to pick up the well-pitched up delivery from Wayne White that knocked out his leg-stump for 1.
At 52-2, Gloucestershire needed stability and that was provided by Chris Dent and Peter Handscomb who steadied the visitors’ nerves with the first century partnership of the match.
Dent was dropped by Angus Robson at first slip off Raine on 34, a difficult chance high to the fielder’s left, but Rob Taylor, back in the side due to an injury to Charlie Shreck, and Clint McKay then picked up four wickets between them for just 30 runs to keep the Foxes in with a chance of enforcing victory.
Handscomb had just gone to his 50, from 99 balls, when he pulled a short ball from Taylor straight into the hands of Rob Sayer at deep square leg, and the left-armer followed up by trapping first Dent (73 from 186 balls) and then Hamish Marshall (5) leg before wicket.
McKay then induced Benny Howell to push at a delivery which swung away, and wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien held the edge.
Jack Taylor got off the mark by launching off-spinner Sayer for a straight six, but after an hour’s break for bad light, when 11 overs were lost, attempted to loft McKay through the offside and was caught at cover.
Raine bowled James Fuller with a well-pitched up delivery in the following over, but with five overs remaining, umpires Nick Cook and Nigel Cowley decided the light was again too poor to continue.
Handscomb admitted he was disappointed with the manner of his dismissal. “I don’t usually play that shot, but Chris Dent’s innings was invaluable. The first 20 minutes tomorrow will shape how the game pans out.”
