Only 24 overs were possible at Grace Road but they were enough to produce more exciting cricket than will be seen at some grounds over a full day’s play. More than 100 runs were scored and six wickets taken and, on a pitch that continues to offer the seamers every encouragement, Lancashire could only be happy to close leading by more than 150 with eight second-innings wickets and one day remaining.
It will be fascinating to see how determined Lancashire are to push for a win that would keep them at the top of Division Two. While some of the gloomier Leicestershire supporters left muttering that the visitors would probably have enough if they declared overnight, Lancashire’s captain, Steven Croft, will surely be looking to extend the lead of 158 to something close to 300 before putting the hosts back in. The Foxes may have forgotten how to win a match but they rattled along at the best part of five an over in their first innings, have a number of free-scoring batsmen and, in Mark Cosgrove, possess a captain of such determined optimism that Croft may be wary.
After a late start Leicestershire, resuming on 195 for six, quickly lost Tom Wells, leg-before on the back foot to Kyle Jarvis for seven. At that stage they were still 16 short of saving the follow-on but Cosgrove was joined by Clint McKay to ward off that danger.
Both were dismissed in the four overs possible in the afternoon session but further rain then kept the players off until 5.45pm, when Jarvis seamed the first delivery after the enforced break back into Charlie Shreck to win another leg-before shout and finish with five for 69.
The wicket was still doing plenty, though it could hardly be blamed when Paul Horton called Karl Brown through for a single, was sent back and did not make it.
Brown followed soon afterwards, edging a Shreck outswinger to Niall O’Brien behind the stumps, and it should have been three when Alviro Petersen edged the last ball of the day, bowled by Ben Raine, to Wells at third slip but the young all-rounder failed to hold the chance.
It was the fifth time Leicestershire have dropped a good chance in the slips in this match and, not for the first time this season, missed opportunities look likely to cost them dear.
