Wright shines as wickets fall
LV=Insurance County Championship, Division Two, Worcester: Leicestershire 173 and 66-2, Worcestershire 83
VETERAN Leicestershire allrounder Chris Wright took centre stage on a remarkable opening day of the County Championship match with Worcestershire at New Road as 22 wickets tumbled, writes John Curtis.
Wright initially played his part with the bat in making a valuable 30 during an eighth wicket partnership of 54 with Colin Ackermann – the best of the innings.
Leicestershire were bowled out for a modest looking 173 in 55.5 overs after being put into bat with Matthew Waite and Joe Leach each taking three wickets.
But it looked a challenging total after 36-year-old Wright completed his second five-wicket haul of the season.
He ended with 5-32 from 10 overs and received excellent support from Somerset loanee Josh Davey as Worcestershire were bowled out for 83 – the lowest total of the season in Division Two.
It was a severe test all day for batters with a combination of the ball swinging and uneven bounce.
Leicestershire openers Rishi Patel and Sol Budinger then cashed in against a tired attack by plundering 64 in 10 overs before both fell in quick succession.
Both sides had several injury problems in the bowling department and, as a result, the Somerset pair of Jack Brooks and Davey joined
Worcestershire and Leicestershire respectively on short-term loans.
Worcestershire club captain Brett D’Oliveira opted to bowl first on a green-tinged pitch and his side were initially on the receiving end of some aggressive batting from Sol Budinger.
He raced to 30 off 28 balls with six boundaries before he was undone by a delivery by Leach which nipped away and was pouched at first slip.
Rishi Patel, who has scored three centuries this summer, was fortunate when an attempted pull against Brooks flew over the slips to the third man boundary.
But the introduction of Adam Finch, fresh from his maiden fivewicket haul at Cardiff last week, brought his downfall. Patel went for another pull and this time skied a catch to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick running towards short fine leg.
Leicestershire captain Lewis Hill needed lengthy treatment after being struck on the left arm by a lifting delivery from Finch. But he became the first of two victims in an over during a probing spell from Waite.
The former Yorkshire all-rounder obtained plenty of swing and Hill and Peter Handscomb were both undone in the flight and trapped lbw.
D’Oliveira then produced a stunning catch in mid-air away to his left at backward point to account for Wiaan Mulder after he drove at Leach. It became four wickets for 14 runs when Rehan Ahmed gave Waite a third success when he was snapped up at first slip.
Tom Scriven then fell into the leg side trap and lofted Finch straight to Waite at deep square leg.
Ackerman completed a 97-ball half century before Wright (30) aimed a blow over mid wicket and was lbw to Leach.
He was denied a fourth wicket when Ackermann on 51 was dropped at second slip, but Gibbon wrapped up the innings with two wickets in three balls. Ackermann added only one more run before he dragged on a delivery from Gibbon, who then defeated the defensive push of Will Davis to win an lbw shout.
When Worcestershire batted, Azhar Ali was promoted to open alongside Ed Pollock in the continued absence of Jake Libby with a back problem.
But the Pakistan star was caught behind in the opening over from Wright to a delivery which nipped away and lifted – and it set the tone for the remainder of the innings.
Roderick also moved up to number three from the middle order and he was lbw to Davey in his first over.
Pollock was his usual aggressive self in square driving Wright for four and then flicking Davey off his legs over the square leg boundary.
But Wright reduced the home side to 34-4 as Jack Haynes and Adam Hose perished in successive balls to first slip before D’Oliveira was caught behind when he pushed forward to Daley.
Pollock had scored 30 of the 45 runs on the board when he was snaffled by Ackermann at second slip off Wright.
The procession of wickets followed as Waite clipped Davey straight to mid wicket and Wright completed his five-for with Finch lbw.
Mulder came on for Davey after a spell of 7-1-26-3 and he enjoyed immediate success as Leach carved his shot to cover.
Brooks and Ben Gibbon added 33 for the last wicket before Mulder removed the former.
Patel and Budinger went in for the second time and raced along at more than six an over before a double breakthrough. Budinger gave Gibbon the charge and perished at deep midwicket and Patel nicked Leach through to Roderick for his 21st wicket of the campaign.