Gloucestershire v Leicestershire
LV=County Championship Division Two
Day Two. At Bristol.
By Richard Latham
Gemaal Hussain continued his impressive start to the LV=County Championship season by taking 3-26 as Leicestershire were made to follow on at Bristol.
The 26-year-old Gloucestershire seamer is the leading wicket-taker in the competition so far and took his tally to 29 by dismissing James Taylor, Nathan Buck and Andrew Harris when the visitors replied to an imposing total of 376 all out.
Leicestershire could manage only a paltry 102, despite opener Will Jefferson’s 51, as Anthony Ireland and James Franklin returned identical figures of 3-21.
The entire innings spanned less than 35 overs and there even seemed a possibility that Gloucestershire would record their third successive Championship victory inside two days.
But, although Jefferson was prevented from opening Leicestershire’s second innings by a twisted ankle, Paul Nixon made the most of his promotion to help Matt Boyce bat through the final 43 overs of the day. At the close their team were 122 without loss, still 152 behind.
Gloucestershire had added 62 to their overnight score of 314-6, with Steve Snell and Hussain both making useful contributions of 28. Visiting skipper Matthew Hoggard finished with 4-67 from 25 overs.
It meant the home side earned four batting points, their first on home soil this season. Even without the rested Steve Kirby, their seam attack soon had Leicestershire in all kinds of trouble as Franklin sent back Boyce and Nixon in the space of four deliveries during an excellent new ball spell.
Lunch was taken at 40-2 and that soon became 68-4 as James Taylor and Andrew McDonald fell cheaply to Hussain and Ireland respectively.
Jefferson stood firm to reach his half-century off 62 balls, with 8 fours, but there were still only 73 runs on the board when he was bowled driving at Ireland.
The tall opener had hurt his ankle taking a quick single in the first over after lunch, but is expected to bat tomorrow.
There was little resistance from the Leicestershire tail, although Claude Henderson hit 4 fours in his 28 before being last man out, Jonathan Batty taking a fifth catch behind the wicket to give Franklin his third wicket.
Hussain, who had made only one Championship appearance before the start of this season, again impressed with his lively pace and ability to swing the ball as well as dart it about off the seam.
But second time around neither he nor any of his bowling colleagues could part Nixon and Boyce, who both reached their half-centuries shortly before the close. Boyce was unbeaten on 59 and Nixon 50.
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