Ingram’s ton leaves Glam in with a shout

GERAINT Thomas has paid tribute to rival Michele Scarponi after the Italian cycling star died following a collision with a van while on a training ride on Saturday.

Just hours earlier, Thomas had fended off attacks from the 2011 Giro d’Italia champion to become the first British winner of the Tour of the Alps.

“Devastated to hear the news about Scarponi. Can’t believe it. My thoughts are with all his friends, family and team,” wrote Thomas on twitter.

Scarponi had won the opening leg of the five-stage race, which started in Austria and finished in Italy, by out-sprinting Wales’ double Olympic track champion.

The 37-year-old slipped to fourth in the standings and was unable to break Thomas despite attempting to break away during Friday’s final stage.

Scarponi returned to his home in Filottrano that evening, posting a picture on Twitter of his young, twin sons covered in the leader’s jersey he had worn three days earlier.

He was out for a training ride early on Saturday morning as he continued his preparations for the May 5 start of the Giro, which is second in importance to the Tour of France, when the tragedy occurred.

Contador, who is among only six riders to have won the Tours of France, Italy and Spain, was among the first to express his shock, tweeting that he was “paralysed and speechless”.

He described Scarponi as “a great person and always with a contagious smile”. AN unbeaten 70 from Ned Eckersley, his third half-century in his last four innings, means Leicestershire’s acting captain could have a difficult decision to make on the fourth day of the championship match against Glamorgan.

Eckersley’s unbroken partnership of 91 in 19 overs with Mark Pettini for the fourth wicket of the Foxes’ second innings helped his side close day three leading the visitors by 194, with seven wickets left.

It is a strong position, but the pitch is flat, the outfield fast, and with Zak Chappell, a key member of his bowling attack, unable to bowl after being hit on the right shoulder while batting in the nets before the start of the second day, Eckersley will have much to ponder should it come to setting a target.

Even so, it was an impressively positive response from Leicestershire after Colin Ingram had become the second centurion of Glamorgan’s first innings.

The South African reached his century by hooking a Neil Dexter delivery to the mid-wicket boundary (178 balls, 13 fours, two sixes).

It looked as though Glamorgan would go on to build a substantial first innings lead, but they lost their last five wickets for just 42 runs, beginning with Ingram’s dismissal for 137 – his best for Glamorgan – bowled off an inside edge by Clint McKay in the over before lunch.

McKay removed Kiran Carlson immediately after the break, Harry Dearden holding a fine catch at second slip, as he did when Marchant De Lange edged the same bowler soon afterwards. Lukas Carey’s attempt to hook Raine gave Neil Dexter the simplest of catches at third slip, the ball looping off the back of the bat, and Dexter was again the grateful catcher when Hogan chipped Raine gently in to the covers to leave Glam 426 all out.

Leicestershire did lose opener Dearden early on in their second innings, smartly caught by Nick Selman low to his right at second slip when the opener edged an attempted drive at Michael Hogan.

Dexter was run out after a poor call from Paul Horton, and Horton himself leg before wicket to a De Lange yorker that knocked the batsman off his feet, but Eckersley – dropped by David Lloyd on 48 – and Pettini scored quickly in the final hour.