Rehan Ahmed and Peter Handscomb add additional gasoline to Foxes’ season

Apr 30, 2023 at 9:26 AM
Rehan Ahmed and Peter Handscomb add additional gasoline to Foxes’ season

Glamorgan 164 for five (Labuschagne 64, Byrom 51, Scriven 3-15) 1 path Leicestershire 407 (Handscomb 95, Ahmed 90, Hill 53, van der Gugten 6-88) by 243 runs

There was frustration for England sensation Rehan Ahmed and for Australian Ashes hopeful Peter Handscomb as each missed out on centuries however their mixed efforts turned up the strain on Glamorgan on day two of their LV=Insurance County Championship match on the Uptonsteel County Ground.

Ahmed (90) and Handscomb (95) shared a partnership of 177 for the sixth wicket as Leicestershire punished Glamorgan skipper David Lloyd’s determination to place them in by racking up 407 all out as their encouraging begin to the Division Two season continued, giving them the higher hand regardless of Timm van der Gugten’s six for 88.

To rub salt within the wound, veteran Leicestershire seamer Chris Wright then dismissed Lloyd for a second ball duck as Glamorgan replied, and regardless of Eddie Byrom and Marnus Labuschagne preventing again with a partnership of 124 for the second wicket, the guests closed nonetheless 94 runs wanting avoiding the follow-on at 164 for 5.

Sam Northeast – again on the scene of his historic 410 not out final season – was nonetheless there on 16 after being dropped on 9. Glamorgan may do with one thing particular from him on day three to remain on this sport.

Ahmed had been straight into his stride as Leicestershire started the morning session on 241 for 5 after rain had washed out roughly a 3rd of the opening day’s scheduled overs, demonstrating his youthful confidence by driving Van der Gugten’s loosener by means of the covers for 4. He picked up 4 extra one other considerably edgily, leaving the Netherlands bowler maybe regretting the shortage of a 3rd slip, earlier than whacking away a brief ball from Michael Neser with a shot that resembled a double-handed cross-court forehand in tennis, the ensuing boundary taking him to a 70-ball half-century.

Leicestershire’s intention was clearly to make the most effective of their alternatives as Glamorgan waited for the brand new ball to turn out to be accessible. Handscomb was considerably extra standard in his method however he and Ahmed proved an efficient mixture, including 72 within the 13.2 overs left earlier than the guests may dispense with the previous one.

Ahmed, already an all-format England worldwide but taking part in in solely his seventh first-class match, seemed effectively set for a second first-class hundred till the brand new ball ultimately labored in Glamorgan’s favour, Van der Gugten getting one previous his bat to hit his entrance pad squarely in entrance and declare 5 in an innings for the eleventh time.

Lloyd, not at his finest with the ball on day one, seemed in higher fettle this time, hanging in his third over as Tom Scriven edged behind simply earlier than lunch, selecting up a second wicket quickly after the interval as Wright, in shot-making mode, was caught at deep mid-wicket. Van der Gugten made Ed Barnes his sixth sufferer by way of an edge to the wicketkeeper.

Handscomb was final out, throwing again his head in frustration as umpire Neil Bainton upheld his compatriot Michael Neser’s name for an additional catch on the wicket, denying him a second hundred in Leicestershire colors, however his supervision of the tail had enabled his group to double their batting bonus factors from two to 4 after Ahmed’s dismissal.

Lloyd’s second-ball dismissal, caught at second slip, didn’t augur effectively for Glamorgan’s prospects, however Byrom (51) and world primary batter Labuschagne (64) batted patiently, whereas sometimes using their luck, so as to add 124 for the second wicket.

But simply because it appeared the 2 had constructed a platform for a considerable reply, each have been out in fast succession to Scriven, the younger former Hampshire seamer bringing one again to lure the left-handed Byrom lbw. Then Barnes, who had been pulled for six by Labuschagne a few overs earlier, stunned him with one other shortish supply that discovered the sting, Wiaan Mulder at second slip grabbing the catch on the second try.

Thereafter,the fourth-wicket pair Northeast and Kiran Carlson mounted a stable hour of defence earlier than the competition sprang again into life within the last half-hour. Northeast was badly dropped at midwicket on 9 off Ahmed however Scriven then struck with consecutive balls as Carlson, who confronted 61 balls for his 9, feathered a catch behind and Billy Root misplaced his leg stump. A couple of tremendous, swinging deliveries,had given him three wickets in an innings for the primary time in his fledgling profession.