Caledonia Dreaming or Ian38018 Sporting Travels: Grace Road

27th April 2015

Leicestershire v Northamptonshire
(day 2)

It is perhaps an indication of the depth of Leicestershire County Cricket Club’s current woes, that even an extremely casual follower of the sport like myself had noted not only that the club had finished bottom of the County Championship second division on each of the last two seasons, but had failed to win even a single match in the process.

To hopefully arrest this unenviable run the club had appointed former Warwickshire player Wasim Khan as Chief Executive, who had since installed a pair of Aussies in the shape of Andrew Macdonald and Mark Cosgrove as Head Coach and Captain respectively.

This last named, although clearly a talented individual, has regretfully endured struggles with weight issues throughout his career. And whilst I believe he has trimmed down from what was once his peak fighting-weight, he still strikes a distinctly un-athletic looking figure on a cricket field.

Early indications had shown the club may at least be seeing the corner in sight, if not quite on the verge if turning it. An unbeaten second innings 59 by Cosgrove had helped Leics to a creditable draw at Glamorgan in their opening County Championship match. Whilst in the first day of this encounter, they had limited Northamptonshire to 251 all out, before going to make a really rather encouraging 102 for 1 at the close of the first day.

Thus when I pitched up at Grace Road to take in day 2, I fully expected Leics to build upon their promising start. But regretfully not. For even before the cucumbers had begun being sliced in preparation for lunch, the home lot had crumbled to 165 for 5; Ned Eckersley, Cosgrove and Neil Pinner all departing rather tamely.

Mark Cosgrove - Leicestershire

This rather awkward looking attempt saw Niall O'Brien caught having scored just 9 runs.

Robert Newton - Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire's Mohammad Azharullah took six
wickets over the course of the match.

This rather undignified scramble by Northants' Rob Keogh (I think) prevented a boundary.

Ned Eckersley - Leicestershire

Charlie Shreck - Leicestershire CCC

Ben Raine - Leicestershire

Raine bowling to Northants' Stephen Peters

I had noted that via the BBC Sport website one could access commentary on the match from BBC Radio Leicester, which I duly did. But I initially found the experience more than a little perplexing, as the commentary I was hearing appeared to bear no resemblance whatsoever to what was going on in front of me on the pitch.

I pondered if I had succeeded in tuning into the wrong radio station. But no, this was definitely the correct match – it was just that the commentary made no sense at all. It gradually dawned upon me that, perhaps because I was listening via my mobile phone, that I was experiencing a minute or so delay in the transmission. So what I was hearing was actually the commentary for the previous ball to the one I was witnessing. I persevered with this headache-inducing state of affairs for a quarter of an hour or so, but soon had to give up.

Leics' woes continued after lunch, before an admirably resilient partnership by Raine and McKay allowed the visitors’ first innings total to be painstakingly overtaken. The homesters’ were finally all out for 305 when Charlie Shreck – one of those bowlers who look as if he requires to be reminded of which end of the bat to hold each time he sets out for the crease – was caught behind for naught.

Northants' second innings began during that odd lethargy-inducing third session where a few stragglers wander in to catch proceedings (presumably getting in either free or cheaply), but at least four times as many folks drift away, and even the players appear to take on a listless, almost going-through-the-motions aspect.

Home bowler Ben Raine persevered manfully, but must have been frustrated to see at least two relatively simple catches dropped by his fielders. He eventually took care of Richard Levi and, soon after, the aforementioned Shreck had Peters caught behind. Close of play found Northants on 105 for 2 – a modest lead of 51.

Play was briefly halted due to poor light. I was a bit surprised at this as, although the clouds overhead had certainly turned from white to grey over the previous hour, the light did not appear particular bad. But then again, I suppose I was not facing a cricket ball travelling towards me at upwards of 60 mph.

Light looks fine to me !

Grace Road - Leicestershire County Cricket Club.

Weather-vane atop the old scoreboard.

Grace Road - Leicestershire County Cricket Club.

Upstairs in this building is designated The Meet, where I enjoyed a sensibly priced
meal of shepherd's pie and chips, washed down with a half-pint of the local brew
served up by quite the friendliest folks I have some across on my journeys for some time.

View of the action from The Meet.

Grace Road - Leicestershire County Cricket Club.

Panorama of Grace Road - Leicestershire County Cricket Club.

Update

Northants went on to make 429 in their second innings, leaving Leics a target of 376 to win. Leics fell well short being bowled out for 283.

Northants won the match by 92 runs.

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4th & 5th June 2021

Leicestershire v Gloucestershire

(Days 2 & 3)

When the post-lockdown return to cricket-attending was announced, I found myself faced with the choice of applying for tickets for Leicestershire's home County Championship fixture with Middlesex (May 27-30th), or with Gloucestershire (June 3-6th June). I chose the latter, mainly because I felt there was slightly less chance of inclement weather during the later fixture.

And, with my usual unerringly poor decision-making, I missed out on witnessing Leicestershire achieving their third highest ever run chase (378); helped to victory in no small way by Australian Marcus Harris's remarkable second innings score of 185.

My almost equally silly decision to give Day One of the Gloucestershire match a miss, similarly backfired, as I missed Harris post yet another whopping score - this time, 148 - as Leics ended Day One on a rather more-than-healthy looking 357/5. Harris had fallen during that first day, but I thought never mind, I can look forward to seeing the chap in action in his second innings. (Ha ha!)

Leicestershire added a further 94 on Day Two, eventually being all out for 451. I noted that 54 of that total had come from extras courtesy of wayward Gloucestershire bowling. Talk about making things hard for yourselves.

Gloucs, in reply, soon lost captain Chris Dent for 30, but Miles Hammond and Glenn Phillips then set about building, what looked to my un-cricketing eye, an ominously solid-looking partnership. Hammond hitting one ball, early in his innings, for six, which g-dunged off the metal roof of a green pitchside garage. "Careful! We cannot afford to replace that roof", yelled some wag in the seats along from me.

The pair had just begun to look disconcertingly comfortable, and had taken their side to 81/1, when up stepped the redoubtable Mr. Harris to takes a catch from a Phillips thwack - a catch which really looked as if he no right to get near.

You could almost feel Gloucestershire's spirits drop at this point and, whilst the visitors never collapsed, wickets certainly began to tumble. When Hammond was bowled by Callum Parkinson having reached a more than creditable 67, the Gloucs' tail succumbed meekly thereafter. The visitors' innings ended on 158 all out, with Leics' spinners Colin Ackermann and Parkinson having taken eight of those wickets between them.

The hosts then politely invited their guests to follow-on, and there were just five overs for openers Hammond and Dent to negotiate before bedtime. But even this modest task proved beyond them, as the latter succumbed to the second last (scheduled) ball of the day. I acknowledge I don't know too much about cricket, but aren't night-watchmen meant to be put in to negotiate such tricky periods?

The Start-of-Day-Two scoreboard.

Grace Road (or Uptonsteel County Ground, as it is presently known)

Leicestershire v Gloucestershire (June 2021)

I think this is Gloucestershire's Jonathan Tattersall slapping one away.

Callum Parkinson receives the plaudits after his Day Two five-wicket haul

Panorama of Grace Road, Leicestershire CCC

Day 3 began as the previous day had, with Gloucestershire wickets tumbling with metronomic regularity, as 5/1 at the start of play soon became 31/5. Jonathan Tattersall and Ian Cockbain between them stopped the rot for a lengthy period, each reaching fifties. But when both fell in the 50th and 56th overs respectively, it became clear my Day 4 ticket was not going to be needed.

Cockbain's dismissal had seen the visitors on 155/5, and the tail-enders added just 45 more runs to that total before Ackermann's dismissal of Josh Shaw ended proceedings.

This last wicket was Ackermann's sixth of the match, but pride of place undoubtedly went to Parkinson's ten.

The opening ball of Day Three - Parkinson to Phillips

Colin Ackermann bowling

The Bennett End - named for one Trever Bennett, a benefactor of the club, who died in 2007.

Ed Barnes unable to prevent a boundary.

Barnes on the move again.

What looks like a grin on Jonathan Tattersall's face is actually a grimace -
for he just taken a sore one to the hip.

Leicestershire v Gloucestershire (June 2021)

The Grace Road pitch has this neat little cubby-hole in the turf, where folks can store their caps.

Leicestershire v Gloucestershire (June 2021)

Callum Parkinson's turn to chase the red thing.

Leics win by an innings and 93 runs.

Panorama of Grace Road.

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Leicestershire v Yorkshire

2oth August 2023

(One Day Cup)

Overcoming a minor wobble at 15/2, Leicestershire completed a relatively routine win over Yorkshire to consolidate their position at the top of Group A of the Metro Bank One Day Cup. The winning of the group (hence guaranteeing a home semi-final) would not be confirmed until the following Tuesday, when Hampshire failed to overhaul Leics' run rate in their final group match against Kent.

Yorkshire had been put into bat by their hosts, and were soon in trouble as Harry Duke, Shan Masood and Will Luxton were all soon sitting back in the pavilion having scored just eleven runs between them. When Matthew Revis was caught by Rishi Patel for 18 in the 29th over, leaving the visitors on 91/8, it looked for all the world like an early lunch was in the offing. But Ben Coad and former England International Dom Bess grit their respective teeth, and dug out a partnership of 75 to move their side's total towards respectability. Yorkshire's innings eventually closed on 184.

Facing a modest required run rate of 3.7, I thought Leicestershire would have just plodded their way to victory. But instead we saw Rishi Patel and Sol Budinger each caught early; whacking the ball high in search of sixes. It was as if this were the last three overs of a T20 match, rather than the first three overs of a One Day match. Why would they do this? Complacency? A desire for a quick win? Giving both players the benefit of the doubt, I would perhaps suggest each were just doing what they had been told to do i.e. to Gung-Ho it, and see what happens.

Thankfully Leicestershire captain Lewis Hill brought a bit of sense to proceedings and patiently grinding out the required runs became the order of the day. By the time of Peter Handscombe's dismissal for 60 in the 33rd over, the hosts had reached 137/4, and effectively had the match won. Louis Kimber enjoyed the honour of hitting the winning runs, with a boundary from former Leicestershire bowler Ben Mike.

And now a home semi-final tie against Lancashire or Gloucestershire awaits.

Scones in The Meet !

A Big Pink Thing in The Meet !

Shan Masood caught Louis Kimber bowled Chris Wright.

The Meet Cafe - has had a bit of an refresh since my first visit in 2015,
with what looks like a new roof and a few foxes added.

Roman Walker launches one

Chris Wright receives the ball (and perhaps a bit of advice too) from his captain Lewis Hill.

The start (nearly) of Leicestershire's reply.

This (I think) is Sam Evans?

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Leicestershire V Sussex

(2024 County Championship)

13th & 14th April 2024

I missed Day One of this, Leicestershire's first home County Championship match of the 2024 season; me deciding to travel down on the Friday. As if in consolation, I got to witness quite the longest traffic queue I think I have ever seen.

A consequence of a stretch of the northbound M6 being closed due to an overturned lorry, a line of what seemed to be every goods lorry in the country (interspersed with a few cars), snaked its way for miles and miles and miles along the B roads which ran parallel with the closed section. So glad I was travellin' south.

Leicestershire, put into bat by visitors, had made a decent fist of their first day batting. Rishi Patel highest scored with 87, with a surprisingly hefty contribution from all-rounder Liam Trevaskis of 82 helping the Foxes to a more than respectable score of 326/8 at stumps.

Once Day Two got under way, however, Leicestershire's overnight bods (the aforementioned Trevaskis and Matt Salisbury) were both soon back in the pavilion, Leics having added just twelve more runs to their overnight tally. But that was fine - 338 looked a respectable first innings score, and things looked even brighter when Sussex opener Tom Clark was caught by Tom Currie first ball of the visitors' innings.

This could be fun. I thought.

How wrong was I? For what we were then treated to over the next two days was pretty close to five sessions (160.5 overs) of utter domination of the Foxes' attack by the Sussex batsmen.

Tom Haines hit a century taking his side to 184/3 before he departed. Leicestershire briefly enjoyed a successful period with the ball, taking the wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara and Fynn Hudson-Prentice in the space of five overs. But then Danny Lamb entered the fray to partner his captain John Simpson, and the pair just seemed to stay together forever.

Lamb helped himself to 134 in 137 minutes, scoring seven 6s in the process, whilst Simpson hung around for even longer, before he ran out of partners. The Sussex captain spent just under five hours at the crease, scoring a whopping 205 in the process. When he fell, he declared his side's innings on 694/9.

How could the Leicestershire attack suddenly have become so ineffectual, I wondered? Liam Trevaskis in particular, one of the two spinners Leics used, never seemed to have any batsman in any sort of trouble. Each, and there were a fair number during the chap's 39 overs bowled, just seemed to casually tap his efforts away or thwack them towards the boundary. Almost a third of the Sussex total came from the unfortunate chap's bowling.

Fingers have been pointed at The Kookaburra ball as being just a touch too batsman friendly, and some of the other totals accrued during the weekend could be said to support this.

Warwickshire, for example, even surpassed Sussex's exploits here scoring 698 against Durham, who themselves managed 517. Essex scored 530, Kent 413, Lancashire 484, Nottinghamshire 399, Surrey 428, Gloucs 405, Yorkshire 434, Northants 552 and Middlesex 553 - these last two in the same rain-affected match.

Not surprisingly, all nine County Championship matches this weekend were drawn. Although to be fair, most did lose Day Four to the elements.

Update: Leicestershire managed to reach 86/1 in their allotted overs on the evening of Day 3, with Day Four being lost to the rain. Match drawn.