Match report: Day one at Leicestershire
27 June 2016
Gloucestershire traveled to The Fischer County Ground at Grace Road for their Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire, where the hosts finished the first day on 265-7.
A hard-working century from Neil Dexter, his second of the season, ensured Leicestershire finished the opening day of their Specsavers county championship match on reasonably level terms after being put in to bat by Gloucestershire.
The South Africa-born batsman batted almost through the entire day for the Foxes, coming in after opener Angus Robson was bowled by David Payne in the first over of the day.
Robson left a delivery which swung back in to knock his off-stump out of the ground, and Payne struck again soon afterwards, though Paul Horton looked less than impressed to be given out leg before.
At 18-2 Leicestershire were in trouble, but captain Mark Cosgrove, who has already scored two centuries this season, looked in good touch from the start, particularly in hitting Craig Miles for three fours in four balls.
Dexter played more cautiously, but with the pitch losing some of its early demons as the sun came out, he too began to prosper as Leicestershire went to lunch without further loss on 84-2.
Cosgrove went on to reach his half-century off 81 balls, but having done so lost patience and steered the gentle medium-pace of Kieran Noema-Barnett straight to Payne at mid-on. Mark Pettini then edged a lifting delivery from Liam Norwell to Gareth Roderick behind the stumps to leave the innings wobbling on 130-4.
Aadil Ali played solidly, though he did break the shackles by lifting the left-arm spin of Graeme van Buuren for a straight six, and the young batsman had added 58 for the fifth wicket with Dexter when he was bowled for 30 by Craig Miles, possibly beaten for pace as the ball seemed back in.
Ned Eckersley must have been mortified to go leg before playing no shot to Noema-Barnett as the new ball approached, but Dexter was seen to his century, made off 237 balls and including 12 fours, by Rob Taylor, before the left-hander too was dismissed by Noema-Barnett, leg before to an in-swinger shortly before the close.
Dexter was still there though, having faced 265 balls, and Leicestershire’s ambition will be to take their first innings score past 300 on a good pitch, but one which recent history at the ground suggests will offer variable bounce as the game goes on.
Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson:
“It was a tough day’s cricket, and Dexter obviously batted very well, but we stuck to our task, so it’s even stevens.
“We bowled well, there were a lot of plays and misses, but we stuck at it, kept it tight. There’s not that much pace in the wicket, which made scoring difficult if you put the ball in the right place, which we did.
“Kieran Noema-Barnett can be a useful bowler, he asks the question of the batsmen, makes them play, swings the ball a bit, and he did well. We have to get their last three wickets for as few runs possible and then play like Dexter did – spend time at the wicket, because it’s not easy to play on.”
