PlanetCricket
Bot
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2010
Article by Christopher Finch -
A century for Will Jefferson led the way for Leicestershire on the third day of their LV= County Championship Second Division match with Glamorgan at Grace Road, as the visitors go in to the final day at 112-3, chasing a target of 338 for victory.
One of the umpires for this match is Martin Bodenham, currently in his third season on the first-class list. His claim to fame is being the only person to officiate at the top-level of both cricket and football in Britain, having refereed in the Premier League, as well as the 1997 League Cup Final and replay between Leicester City and Middlesbrough before turning his hand to cricket. He umpired in local leagues for a while after retiring from football in 1998, before progressing through to county Second XI level and then the first-class reserve list in 2006. He was appointed to the main first-class panel in 2009.
Resuming on 78-5, Jefferson and Jigar Naik continued their recovery from the night before, and the former reached his 50 in the second over of the morning. Both batsmen looked untroubled, and the century partnership was brought up with two successive boundaries from Jefferson as the Foxes looked to add every run possible.
That mindset should have seen the downfall of Naik, who looked certain to be run out from a Will Bragg throw, but on gathering it wicketkeeper Mark Wallace broke the stumps with his arms, and not the ball.
The runs continued to pile on, and Jefferson brought up his 15th first-class century off Dean Cosker with a two through his favoured cover region, where the former Essex and Nottinghamshire opener had smashed some delightful boundaries during his innings. This was his second Championship century for the Foxes, and his first at Grace Road.
Naik got to 50 before lunch, and Leicestershire reached the interval at 182-5, with an ever-growing lead of 274.
Jefferson fell, however, just four overs in to the afternoon session having edged the ball to Mike Powell at slip off Adam Shantry. His 213 ball knock included 13 fours, and his wicket ended a partnership of 149 with Naik that turned the match back in the Foxes? favour.
This signalled a cluster of wickets falling. Naik?s stubborn resistance ended for 67, caught by Gareth Rees under the helmet at short leg off Robert Croft. The following over, Claude Henderson failed to significantly add to his first innings 80 not out with a wild slog off Cosker that nicked the inside edge before hitting the stumps.
The lead passed 300, and Glamorgan took the new ball hoping to clean up the tail quickly. Graham Wagg tried a short, aggressive tactic in the first over, and this accounted for Nadeem Malik to leave the score at 222-9.
Nathan Buck and Matthew Hoggard hung around for the last wicket to add another 23 runs to the total, before Hoggard became Cosker?s fourth victim of the innings, and eighth for the match when he was out lbw attempting to sweep. That brought tea, and set the Dragons a tough 338 to win in four sessions.
After a maiden first over, Alviro Petersen smashed his first ball to the fence, showing his intentions to build on the 91 he scored in the first innings. The visitors surely needed a big knock from their captain to get close to the hefty target, but this time he could not deliver. He was trapped lbw to Malik, the delivery knocking him off his feet in the process.
Three balls later, Rees fell at the other end, chopping on a ball from Henderson to leave the Welsh side reeling at 43-2. It was left to Powell and Bragg to rebuild the innings, and both will have been tense after being out for golden ducks in the first innings.
The pair looked assured at the crease as the shadows grew longer on the Grace Road outfield, rotating the strike as well as picking up occasional boundaries to help the score past three figures. ?That was until the penultimate over of the day, when Bragg pushed at a straight ball from Naik and was adjudged lbw for 43.
A huge effort will be needed from the lower order if Glamorgan are to get the 226 more runs required for victory on the final day.
More...
A century for Will Jefferson led the way for Leicestershire on the third day of their LV= County Championship Second Division match with Glamorgan at Grace Road, as the visitors go in to the final day at 112-3, chasing a target of 338 for victory.
One of the umpires for this match is Martin Bodenham, currently in his third season on the first-class list. His claim to fame is being the only person to officiate at the top-level of both cricket and football in Britain, having refereed in the Premier League, as well as the 1997 League Cup Final and replay between Leicester City and Middlesbrough before turning his hand to cricket. He umpired in local leagues for a while after retiring from football in 1998, before progressing through to county Second XI level and then the first-class reserve list in 2006. He was appointed to the main first-class panel in 2009.
Resuming on 78-5, Jefferson and Jigar Naik continued their recovery from the night before, and the former reached his 50 in the second over of the morning. Both batsmen looked untroubled, and the century partnership was brought up with two successive boundaries from Jefferson as the Foxes looked to add every run possible.
That mindset should have seen the downfall of Naik, who looked certain to be run out from a Will Bragg throw, but on gathering it wicketkeeper Mark Wallace broke the stumps with his arms, and not the ball.
The runs continued to pile on, and Jefferson brought up his 15th first-class century off Dean Cosker with a two through his favoured cover region, where the former Essex and Nottinghamshire opener had smashed some delightful boundaries during his innings. This was his second Championship century for the Foxes, and his first at Grace Road.
Naik got to 50 before lunch, and Leicestershire reached the interval at 182-5, with an ever-growing lead of 274.
Jefferson fell, however, just four overs in to the afternoon session having edged the ball to Mike Powell at slip off Adam Shantry. His 213 ball knock included 13 fours, and his wicket ended a partnership of 149 with Naik that turned the match back in the Foxes? favour.
This signalled a cluster of wickets falling. Naik?s stubborn resistance ended for 67, caught by Gareth Rees under the helmet at short leg off Robert Croft. The following over, Claude Henderson failed to significantly add to his first innings 80 not out with a wild slog off Cosker that nicked the inside edge before hitting the stumps.
The lead passed 300, and Glamorgan took the new ball hoping to clean up the tail quickly. Graham Wagg tried a short, aggressive tactic in the first over, and this accounted for Nadeem Malik to leave the score at 222-9.
Nathan Buck and Matthew Hoggard hung around for the last wicket to add another 23 runs to the total, before Hoggard became Cosker?s fourth victim of the innings, and eighth for the match when he was out lbw attempting to sweep. That brought tea, and set the Dragons a tough 338 to win in four sessions.
After a maiden first over, Alviro Petersen smashed his first ball to the fence, showing his intentions to build on the 91 he scored in the first innings. The visitors surely needed a big knock from their captain to get close to the hefty target, but this time he could not deliver. He was trapped lbw to Malik, the delivery knocking him off his feet in the process.
Three balls later, Rees fell at the other end, chopping on a ball from Henderson to leave the Welsh side reeling at 43-2. It was left to Powell and Bragg to rebuild the innings, and both will have been tense after being out for golden ducks in the first innings.
The pair looked assured at the crease as the shadows grew longer on the Grace Road outfield, rotating the strike as well as picking up occasional boundaries to help the score past three figures. ?That was until the penultimate over of the day, when Bragg pushed at a straight ball from Naik and was adjudged lbw for 43.
A huge effort will be needed from the lower order if Glamorgan are to get the 226 more runs required for victory on the final day.
More...
