Match Report - Leicestershire v Gloucestershire Day 2
18 June 2019
Mohammad Abbas took three quick wickets before rain caused play to end early after Gloucestershire had begun their reply to a formidable Leicestershire first innings on the second day of the Specsavers county championship match at the Fischer County Ground.
Abbas, moving the ball prodigiously through the air and off the pitch, dismissed Miles Hammond caught behind, James Bracey leg before and Gareth Roderick caught behind before the weather closed in, leaving the Pakistan international with 3-10 from seven overs.
Resuming on 343-5, Gloucestershire got off to a quick start again thanks to the bowling of Chadd Sayers. the Foxes had quickly lost nightwatchman Chris Wright, driving at a delivery from Sayers and edging a straightforward catch to Benny Howell at first slip.
Harry Dearden joined Colin Ackermann in compiling a partnership of 46 for the seventh wicket before Dearden was also caught off an edged drive, this time by Roderick off the bowling of Josh Shaw, a fifth catch in the innings for the Gloucestershire wicket-keeper.
Lewis Hill was busy for the Foxes when he came in, hitting seven boundaries before hooking a David Payne bouncer into the hands of Graeme Van Buuren at deep backward square. Shaw then dismissed Klein leg before and last man Mohammad Abbas didn’t last long as Chris Dent bowled him out in his first over.
Chris Dent with a WICKET!!!
— Gloucestershire Cricket🏏 (@Gloscricket) June 18, 2019
Captain Denty bowls out Mohammad Abbas for a duck in his first over 👏🏻👏🏻
Leicestershire all out for 487!
Live scorecard 👉🏻 https://t.co/M4ijmmc3wB #GoGlos 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/OoWsCzYvS9
When Gloucestershire began their reply, however, Abbas responded in kind. Swinging the ball away from the visitors’ left-handed opening pair, the Pakistan international repeatedly beat the bat before Hammond finally edged a catch through to Hill behind the stumps.
Bracey was dismissed leg before by the same man, and Roderick went first ball to an Abbas delivery which bounced and took the edge.
Benny Howell joined Dent at the crease earlier than he would have hoped for but he started well, reaching 16 off 20 balls with three boundaries. "It was moving around a bit there and Mohammad Abbas is a class bowler. We’ll need to get through potentially a tough period tomorrow, but if we can do that we can go on and bat long" he said.
Gloucestershire finished the day on 41/3, trailing Leicestershire by 446 runs.
