Rishi Patel continues bumper season with fourth century as Welsh rains supreme

Glamorgan 403 for 9 dec (Neser 176*, Swepson 69) drew with Leicestershire 451 for six (Patel 179, Hill 78)

There have been 16 fours and 5 sixes within the 24-year-old opener’s impeccable knock as he led the Foxes to 5 priceless batting factors as their closely curtailed recreation at Sophia Gardens resulted in a draw. Durham’s massive house win over Gloucestershire noticed them transfer additional forward on the high of the Second Division desk, however Leicestershire’s 11 factors from a recreation lowered to solely two innings due to the rain noticed them maintain on to the second promotion place.

Leicestershire noticed their hosts rating 403-9 of their first innings and entered the fourth and last day at 28-0. Patel started on 24* and picked up the place he had left off towards the Welsh county within the second innings of their earlier assembly at Grace Road on the finish of April, when he hit an unbeaten 134 to assist his facet choose up the draw. His highest first-class rating earlier than this season was 99, and his one-chance 179 on a placid wicket within the Welsh capital was his fourth century of the marketing campaign in 9 matches.

Leicestershire noticed opener Sol Budinger depart within the second over of the morning. The Glamorgan hero from their first innings, Aussie all-round Michael Nesser, bought the speedy breakthrough with a ball that rose and flicked a glove to provide Chris Cooke a catch on the wicket.

Budinger left for 5 runs, having solely added one to his in a single day complete, bringing visiting skipper Lewis Hill to the wicket to affix Patel. They performed steadily all through the rest of the opening hour, which noticed 45 runs added, earlier than accelerating to construct a good partnership.

Patel, who had began on 24* introduced up his 50 within the twenty fourth over and within the subsequent over Hill hit a six and a 4 in successive balls from spin bowler Mitchell Swepson to carry up the 100.

There was a 14-minute break for rain simply earlier than lunch when everybody, together with the bottom workers, have been caught out by a two-minute deluge that pressured gamers and umpires to race for the pavilion. Lunch noticed the Foxes 124-1 and Hill’s 97 ball 50 was introduced up with a sq. minimize for 4 off Zain-ul-Hassan within the fortieth over.

Patel reached three figures with a minimize to the third man boundary off Swepson to notch his fourth century of the summer time within the forty eighth over.
Patel and Hill placed on 168 for the second wicket earlier than Hill fell on the sq. leg boundary as he tried to loft a bouncer from James Harris out of the bottom. Instead, he discovered the protected arms of Kiran Carlson and departed for 78.

Patel then loved stands of 56 with Colin Ackerman for the third wicket and 65 with Peter Handcomb for the fourth earlier than Zain-ul Hassan bowled him within the 78th over of the innings. He had batted for simply over six hours and confronted 237 balls.

Louis Kimber loved himself on the finish of the day, hanging two sixes and a 4 off Carlson within the 87th over to not solely carry up the 400, and the fourth batting level, but additionally steering his facet previous the Glamorgan complete. He was then bowled within the subsequent over by Swepson for an enterprising 61.

Once they’d gained the fifth and last batting level, Leicestershire declared and the sport ended with six overs remaining at simply previous 6.00pm.