Jake Libby defies the wickets clatter to set Worcestershire heading in the right direction
Leicestershire 110 (Pennington 4-36, Waite 3-24) and 114 for 7 (Pennington 3-25) want 124 runs to beat Worcestershire 178 and 169 (Libby 67, Wright 4-44)
Libby is a type of county cricketers who is aware of his recreation intimately, exploits his strengths fastidiously and barely lets his staff down. His 67 off 114 balls is the best innings of this match thus far and also you would possibly get the Nicaraguan nationwide debt on that remaining the case. It was filled with the managed edges and stock-in-trade opener’s nudges which have enabled Libby to common practically fifty in his 41 first-class video games for Worcestershire since his transfer from Nottinghamshire. More considerably within the context of this important match at Doncaster Close, it helped his facet construct on a 68-run first-innings lead and problem Leicestershire to attain 238 to win.
Libby and Adam Hose added one other 25 runs within the afternoon session earlier than there was one other clatter of wickets. Some had been the results of good bowling: Libby was caught behind for 67 off one which nipped away from Mulder. Others had been the consequence of brain-fazed batting: Joe Leach was run out trying two runs solely Frankel would have coasted and Josh Baker minimize Matt Salisbury to Rishi Patel at deep level. Once once more, Worcestershire supporters had been grateful that their last-wicket pair, on this case Pennington and Tongue, may add 24 runs for the final wicket, for much too many cricketers have based mostly their shot choice on what they feared the pitch would do moderately than its precise efficiency.
Indeed, moderately an excessive amount of criticism has been vented on this Oakham wicket and not directly on the pinnacle groundsman, Richard Dexter. True, the floor was very troublesome on the primary day, largely as a result of it had been beneath cowl for a lot of the earlier 5 to guard it from the rain. However, when the solar started working on it this morning, it performed slightly extra simply and some dismissals had been brought about as a lot by suspicion as actuality.
That was what made Libby’s innings such a superb effort though his strokes won’t have introduced any consolation to Benno and Stench. Two of Leicestershire’s most loyal supporters, and notably vocal on T20 nights at Grace Road, the pair established a base camp suitably near the Social Science constructing on the primary day of this recreation. From that vantage level, they noticed Worcestershire subside fairly slowly, which can have happy them, after which Leicestershire collapse like dissatisfied divas on an awards night, which can have introduced them no such delight. Today’s cricket adopted the same sample so perhaps it was propitious that their banner was lacking because the wickets tumbled, the batters grumbled and the uncomprehending crocodiles approached the sightscreen.