Picture by John Mallet/Leicestershire CCC. Hassan Ali bowls to one of Leicestershire’s two centurions, Rehan Ahmed.
Centuries for Rehan Ahmed and Nick Kelly helped Leicestershire pile the pressure on Yorkshire during today’s second day of the Rothesay County Championship match at the Uptonsteel County Ground, Grace Road.
Yorkshire have significant work to do to get out of this Division One fixture with a draw, never mind a win.
Unfortunately, the first half of this clash has been a one-sided affair on a pitch which started off spicy, went docile for a while but is now showing signs of uneven bounce.
Leicestershire, replying to a first-innings 185, started the day on 177-3, with England all-rounder Rehan on 62 and New Zealand international Kelly 25. They completed a fourth-wicket partnership of 160, which went a long way to advancing the Foxes to 453 all out midway through the evening.
Dan Moriarty finished with 4-85 from 20.4 overs of left-arm spin.
Yorkshire then faced 16 overs in their second innings before close and reached 32-2, trailing by 236.
Rehan’s excellent 128 off 168 balls represented his highest all-format score of the season, beating a previous best of 44 in an England Lions shirt, while left-handed overseas Kelly posted his first century in county cricket – 121 off 199 balls.
Picture by John Mallett/Leicestershire CCC. Dan Moriarty led the way with the ball for Yorkshire.
While Rehan’s innings was more risqué – he offered a chance yesterday on 30, for example – Kelly batted beautifully. He hardly gave a chance and drove in particularly eye-catching fashion both through the covers and down the ground.
One lofted six over extra cover off Jack White just before tea was particularly memorable.
Rehan’s hundred came in 128 balls shortly before lunch, which was taken at 1.15pm following a 45-minute rain break during the morning. Kelly’s came deep into the afternoon.
By the time the Kiwi raised his bat, the Leicestershire lead was approaching 200. They were 360-5.
Leicestershire scored at more than four runs per over throughout their innings, so this was frustrating on two counts for Yorkshire. Not only did they struggle to take wickets, they were unable to shut down the runs.
Saying that, they did later prevent Leicestershire from getting a fifth batting bonus point for reaching 450 inside 110 overs. However, Yorkshire could only claim two bowling points.
The White Rose had struck twice in the afternoon session. Matthew Revis had Rehan caught at cover as he tried to flay a drive – with one hand off the bat – over the top.
Picture by John Mallett/Leicestershire CCC. Work being done to prepare the ground at Grace Road before play this morning.
That left the score at 285-4 in the 69th over before Hassan Ali bowled Ben Cox for 31 with a beauty in the 81st over, the first with the new ball. By that stage, the Foxes were 329-5.
Kelly finally departed in the early stages of the evening when he was trapped lbw pushing forwards to one which went on with the arm from Dom Bess – 403-6 in the 100th over.
Under the Grace Road floodlights, in operation all day, Yorkshire were particularly frustrated that countless edges flew wide of the slips and to the boundary.
Leicestershire later missed out on a fifth batting point by two runs. They started the 110th over, bowled by Hassan, needing six to reach 450.
On-loan Kent all-rounder Joey Evison was set, having just reached his fifty in 84 balls. But neither he or his captain Ben Green played a shot in anger as they only got four runs to move to 448-6.
Inside another four overs, they had been bowled out.
Evison was run out for 55 against the first ball of the 111th, pushed to mid-wicket and undone by a direct hit from sub fielder Ben Cliff at the non-striker’s end. Josh Davey then miscued Bess to mid-on later in the over.
Picture by John Mallett/Leicestershire CCC. Joey Evison is run out by a direct hit from Ben Cliff.
Then, in the 114th, Moriarty bowled Ben Green playing back to one which kept low before getting Alex Green caught behind three balls later.
Yorkshire then lost two wickets in the seventh over of their second innings as they fell to 12-2.
Will Luxton was well caught at third slip by a diving Sheridon Gumbs, going low to his right, off Davey before Adam Lyth clipped the same man to leg slip.
James Wharton and Sam Whiteman, with nine and eight respectively, will be at the crease tomorrow morning.
