We’re still in a good position, says Cockbain, after defeat for Glos
LEICESTERSHIRE crushed group leaders Gloucestershire by an innings and 93 runs as a one-sided LV=Insurance County Championship ended before tea on the third day with Gloucestershire bowled out for 200 after following-on.
After being 5-1 overnight, Gloucestershire slipped to 31-5 inside the first hour before Ian Cockbain and Jonny Tattersall held up the home side in a defiant stand which lasted two hours and 20 minutes, both making half-centuries in adding 119.
But man-of-the-match Callum Parkinson eventually dismissed both in quick succession. Gloucestershire lost their last five wickets for 50 as the left-arm spinner finished with 5-63 for career-best match figures of 10-108.
Gloucestershire won four of their first five Group Two matches but have now suffered back-to-back defeats, each by an innings, having been beaten by Surrey in the last round.
Cockbain, who top-scored with 59, said: “They bowled extremely well on a pitch that was favourable for everybody and they probably applied themselves a bit better with the bat and that’s where we came unstuck.
“It was a pitch that was difficult to get started on because it was spinning but if you can get through the first 10 or 20 balls it becomes easier. When they batted, Harris and Ackermann showed that if you batted time and stuck to your guns things got easier and you were able to score runs.
“Of where we are in the competition, after a couple of losses back -to-back it doesn’t really feel like it, but if someone had said at the start
of the season that we would be where we are going into Cheltenham we probably would have taken it. We are still in a good position.”
Leicestershire sensed they could finish the job rapidly as they took four wickets in the first 52 minutes of the day.
Chris Wright, getting movement off the seam, had Miles Hammond caught at first slip and Tom Lace behind the stumps in consecutive overs.
Parkinson picked up his first of the day when Glenn Phillips stepped across his stumps in trying to work to leg and was given out leg before, making his unhappiness with the decision obvious to umpire Nick Cook.
Ryan Higgins fell to an unwise slog-sweep to his second that saw him caught at midwicket, but Cockbain and Tattersall frustrated Leicestershire until midway through the afternoon session.
Tattersall played well against the spin but eventually edged a slightly wide ball from Parkinson to Colin Ackermann at first slip, and soon afterwards Cockbain reached to defend one outside off stump, falling to a smart, one-handed catch to his left by Ackermann at second slip. With his off spin, Ackermann bowled David Payne and had Tom Smith leg before and, after some big hitting by Dan Worrall and Josh Shaw, bowled Worrall to finish the job.
LV= COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP LEICESTERSHIRE v GLOUCESTERSHIRE
At Grace Road: Leics (23pts) beat Gloucs (2pts) by an innings and 93 runs
Overnight: Leics 451 (M S Harris 148, C N Ackermann 57, L J Hill 56). Gloucs 158 (M A H Hammond 67; C F Parkinson 5-45) and 5-1
GLOUCESTERSHIRE Second innings
M A H Hammond c Azad b Wright ...................... 8 G D Phillips lbw b Parkinson ................................. 8 T C Lace c Swindells b Wright ............................... 4 I A Cockbain c Ackermann b Parkinson ............. 59 R F Higgins c Hill b Parkinson ............................... 0 J A Tattersall c Ackermann b Parkinson ............. 51 T M J Smith lbw b Ackermann .............................. 5 D A Payne b Ackermann ....................................... 4 J Shaw b Ackermann ........................................... 19 D J Worrall not out ............................................. 17 Extras (b1, lb9, nb10) ........................................... 20 Total (70 overs) ................................................... 200 Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-17, 3-23, 4-29, 5-31, 6-150, 7-155, 8-160, 9-165.
Bowling: Parkinson 32-12-63-5; Ackermann 13-5-44-3; Wright 13-4-36-2; Mike 7-0-27-0; Barnes 5-0-20-0.