August 31, 2024

Rahane and Handscomb Fight Back for Leicestershire After Ingram’s 257*

Glamorgan is closing in on a big win after taking three second-innings wickets. Leicestershire, who scored 251 in their first innings, are now at 144 for 3 in their second innings, trailing by 155 runs. Ajinkya Rahane is unbeaten on 47, and Peter Handscomb is not out on 33. Play was halted due to bad light with 21.2 overs remaining.

Glamorgan’s Colin Ingram continued his stellar performance, scoring a massive 257 not out in their declaration at 550 for 9. Glamorgan had a substantial lead of 299 runs. Leicestershire’s Rahane and Handscomb faced harsh conditions, with both players being dropped by Glamorgan legspinner Mason Crane, who missed crucial chances.

Ingram’s innings were highlighted by a double century and a record for the fastest Glamorgan player to reach 1,000 runs in a season. Crane also contributed with 49 runs before being dismissed in an unfortunate manner. Glamorgan’s strong position puts them in a commanding position to secure the victory.

Ingram Shines as Glamorgan Declares; Leicestershire Faces Uphill Battle in Challenging Conditions

Colin Ingram hit a powerful shot back down the ground. Still, bowler Rehan Ahmed touched the ball, which hit the stumps at the bowler’s end before Mason Crane could make his ground. New Zealander Fraser Sheat added a quick 34 runs while Ingram mostly watched. Ned Leonard scored a boundary before Glamorgan declared their innings just before lunch, finishing at 550 for 9, leading by 299 runs.

Ingram, who was unbeaten on 257, had batted for nearly ten hours, playing a major role as Glamorgan added 119 runs in the morning. When Leicestershire began their second innings, they faced a tough challenge, with opening bowler Ian Holland also opening the batting. Rishi Patel and Holland managed to withstand an early attack from Timm van der Gugten and Fraser Sheat.

Dan Douthwaite made the first breakthrough by getting Patel LBW. Ned Leonard then dismissed Leicestershire captain Lewis Hill with a sharp delivery. Van der Gugten also contributed, taking out Holland with a delivery that lifted outside off-stump, caught by Billy Root at point.

Ajinkya Rahane and Peter Handscomb formed the core of Leicestershire’s resistance. Glamorgan had chances to dismiss Rahane, who was dropped twice by Mason Crane while on 32. Handscomb also allowed to be caught off Sheat, but Crane missed again.

Bad light led to an early finish. The umpires attempted to resume play but were forced to call off the game due to worsening conditions.

Higgins and Robson Centuries Propel Middlesex Towards Draw

Middlesex is trailing by 160 runs with one day left in their match against Yorkshire at Headingley. Before declaring, Middlesex scored 441 for 5, while Yorkshire scored 601 for 6.

Ryan Higgins, who scored 117 off 210 balls, has become the second batter this summer to reach 1,000 runs in the Vitality County Championship, following Colin Ingram. Higgins, who has now scored five centuries this season, led Middlesex’s effort to draw against Yorkshire. He was joined by opener Sam Robson, who made 108 off 219 balls.

Higgins played an aggressive innings, reaching his century with a six. In contrast, Robson’s century was significant as it was scored on the same ground where he made his only Test century for England a decade ago.

Former England player Dom Bess took four wickets for 168 runs in 64 overs of off-spin bowling.

On day three, Sam Robson began with 65 not out and eventually reached his 35th first-class century. This was a notable achievement in his career, which included seven Test matches in 2014. Robson was out LBW to Bess before lunch but watched as Ryan Higgins continued to build on their solid performance, putting Middlesex close to the follow-on target.

Robson’s Test Century and Middlesex’s Efforts Highlight a Challenging Day Against Yorkshire

Robson’s only Test century for England, which he scored 127, was made against Sri Lanka at Headingley in June 2014. After this match, he played six more home Tests before being dropped. During this time, Jonathan Trott briefly opened the batting with Sir Alastair Cook in early 2015. Adam Lyth later replaced him for a series against New Zealand and Australia. Ironically, Lyth, who is now playing for Yorkshire and bowled at Robson late on day one, also played seven home Tests and scored his only century at Headingley.

Sam Robson played carefully against a mix of seam and spin from Bess, Lyth, and Dan Moriarty, effectively using his legs to handle the bowlers. On day two, Robson and Mark Stoneman scored 61 runs for the first wicket. On the third day, Robson and Max Holden added 121 for the second wicket before Holden was out for 51, leaving Middlesex at 182 for 2.

Robson was dismissed LBW by Bess for 69 with the score at 207, a crucial moment as the new ball approached. Leus du Plooy and Ryan Higgins added 57 runs for the fourth wicket, helping Middlesex reach 248 for 3 at lunch. Du Plooy was out for 33 in the afternoon, caught off Ben Coad’s low full toss, leaving the score at 263 for 4.

Middlesex aimed to avoid defeat but struggled to dominate, failing to secure many batting bonus points. Bess and Moriarty bowled 116 overs between them, with Middlesex reaching 321 for 4 after 110 overs. They earned two batting points compared to Yorkshire’s one for bowling. Yorkshire has a slight edge in the overall battle, leading 5 to 3 in bonus points.

If the match ends in a draw, Middlesex would stay one point ahead of Yorkshire in the promotion race, with three games left. Higgins and wicketkeeper Jack Davies added 128 runs for the fifth wicket. Davies scored 61 before being caught off Bess, leaving Middlesex at 391 for 5. Higgins, who reached 1,000 Championship runs for the season, brought up his century with a six. He remained unbeaten on 100 off 185 balls, with an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 50 with Luke Hollman, who was 21 not out.