Red Rose close day just nine runs ahead
SLATER HITS CAREER BEST IN BOB WILLIS TROPHY TO PUT LANCS IN TROUBLE
BEN Slater hit a career-best 172 and Colin Ackermann 94 as Leicestershire declared with a first innings lead of 87 before taking three early wickets as Lancashire closed the third day just nine runs ahead in the Bob Willis Trophy match being played at Blackfinch New Road.
Keaton Jennings went caught at third slip off Chris Wright for 8, the ball looping off an inside edge and his pads, Josh Bohannon was leg before wicket to a full delivery from Ben Mike for 3, and Alex Davies leg before for 54 missing a pull at a delivery from left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson that went on with the arm to give the Foxes real hope of forcing victory on the final day.
Slater, signed by Leicestershire on a two-week loan from Nottinghamshire, shared in a partnership of 165 with Ackermann, a third wicket record for Leicestershire against Lancs, beating the 163 run partnership between James Bradshaw and Norman Armstrong at Leicester’s old Aylestone Road ground in 1929.
Ackermann was positive from the start when his side resumed on 1832, looking to get forward where possible against an inexperienced bowling attack including three men making their first-class debuts in seamers Ed Moulton and George Balderson, and left-arm spinner Tom Hartley.
All bowled straight and to their fields, however, and on a good, dry but slightly slow pitch, Ackermann and Slater found it hard to work the ball to the boundary. Slater kept the scoreboard moving with singles as he worked his way towards 150, going in to lunch on 143 off 318 balls, while Ackermann hit seven fours in reaching 50 off 88 deliveries.
Only one chance was created, when Ackermann, on 47, drove a delivery from Balderson that stopped a little in the pitch back towards the young bowler, but the bowler was unable to hold the catch very low to his left.
It was a different story after the interval as Leicestershire looked to secure a fourth batting bonus point. Having passed 150, Slater lofted Tom Bailey for consecutive sixes over long-on, but a third attempt landed in the hands of Bohannon at deep mid-off.
George Rhodes came and went quickly in the search for quick runs, driving Bailey to Dave Vilas at cover, but Ackermann, on 94, looked certain to reach a century of his own until he was called through for an unlikely second run by Tom Taylor and failed to beat Jennings’ throw from the mid-wicket boundary.
When Taylor went leg before wicket hitting across the line at Balderson and Harry Swindells was bowled trying to improvise against Hartley’s left-arm spin, Leicestershire had lost five wickets for 43 runs, but Mike, Klein and Parkinson saw them past 400 before Ackermann declared to ensure the Foxes were able to bowl before tea. Neither Jennings nor Davies were troubled during the seven overs they did bowl before the break.
Jennings’ unfortunate dismissal, followed by those of Bohannon and Davies, means much will depend on Lancashire’s in-form captain Dave Vilas, who was unbeaten on 7 at the close. Before play began, match umpire Alec Swann confirmed Leicestershire seamer Klein had been handed a three-point penalty and a reprimand after being adjudged to have committed a level two offence under Law 43, throwing the ball at another player in an inappropriate and dangerous manner.
The incident occurred on the second day of the game, when Klien threw the ball at the stumps but hit Lancs batsman Danny Lamb on the foot.
● Day Three: close: Lancashire 322 and 96-3 Leicestershire 409-8.
OLDHAM have completed the signings of defenders Sido Jombati and Carl Piergianni – and also confirmed the return of Cameron Borthwick-Jackson after the full-back signed a one-year deal with the club.
The former United academy graduate returns to Boundary Park as a free agent following the expiry of his contract on June 30.
He said: “I’m really pleased to be back at the club and can’t wait to get going again.
“It (lockdown) has been bittersweet really because I’ve had time to spend with my kids but I want to play football, train every day and I’ve been raring to go.”
The 32-year-old Jombati joins the club on an initial one-year deal from newly-promoted EFL Championship side Wycombe Wanderers and becomes the first signing since the appointment of new head coach Harry Kewell on Saturday.
Operating primarily as a rightback, he also has experience in central defence as well as at left-back and is known for his versatility and ability at set-pieces.
“I’ve loved the past few years at Wycombe, but now is the right time for me to have a brand new challenge and I believe my previous experiences have made me a stronger character,” he said upon signing at Boundary Park.
Piergianni returns to the club after spending the second half of last season on loan from neighbours Salford City, signing a two-year contract.
The 28-year-old made 11 appearances during his six-month stint last season and will look to pick up where he left off with the Latics defence.
Jennings’ dismissal means much will depend on in-form captain Dane Vilas