Heat firmly on Durham as visitors pass 300-mark at Riverside
LEICESTERSHIRE made an imperious start to their Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash against Durham.
They posted 301-4 on day one, punishing Paul Collingwood for inserting the visitors at Emirates Riverside.
Michael Carberry, Paul Horton and Mark Cosgrove all made 50s as the home side’s bowlers toiled on a flat pitch, leaving them with a huge task to get back into the contest.
The toss was contested and Collingwood opted to send the visitors into bat, despite the bright, warm sunshine.
Carberry and Horton were watchful at the crease in the early stages of the innings to see off the threat of the new ball.
Once Chris Rushworth and Nathan Rimmington were removed from the attack, boundaries flowed off the bowling of Barry McCarthy and James Weighell as Leicestershire coasted into lunch 80-0.
Horton remained composed after the break and notched his 50 off 114 deliveries - his second on the bounce in the County Championship.
The visitors eased past the 100-run mark before Carberry reached his half-century as he guided a shot down to the boundary, reaching the milestone slightly quicker than his partner in 97 balls.
The opening partnership of 146 was broken when Horton played a loose cut off the bowling of Nathan Rimmington, drilling the ball straight to Cameron Steel at point for 75.
Carberry followed for 73 when he was adjudged lbw to Barry McCarthy.
Colin Ackermann found the boundary with regularity, notching five fours and a six, and was looking comfortable at the crease as Leicestershire passed 200.
However, the South African fell one delivery shy of the tea break when he edged behind a delivery from James Weighell for 36.
Mark Cosgrove found his feet and was able to compound his side’s advantage, blunting Durham’s attempts to break back into the contest.
McCarthy notched his second breakthrough of the game when he snagged Ned Eckersley lbw for nine.
Cosgrove remained composed and reached his fifty with a boundary, nudging a McCarthy delivery through gully.
The Australian’s half-century was the quickest of the lot, taking only 80 balls - with nine boundaries in his innings.
Cosgrove and Lewis Hill continued to put runs on the board and they took the total beyond 300 in the final over the day.