| LV= County Championship Division Two, Uptonsteel County Floor, Leicester (day 4) |
| Yorkshire 155, 225-4 (55.4 overs): Lyth 60, Wharton 58*; Scriven 2-67 |
| Leicestershire 233: Swindells 73, Davis 44*; Hill 4-69 |
| Leicestershire (8 pts) drew with Yorkshire (8pts) |
| Match scorecard |
Leicestershire’s slim probability of including promotion to their One-Day Cup success was successfully washed away as their County Championship match towards Yorkshire completed as a draw at rain-hit Grace Street.
Each effort was made by the bottom employees to make the enjoying space match to renew after heavy showers after lunch however after the groups had been off the sphere for 3 and a half hours, umpires Neil Bainton and Neil Pratt discovered that components of the outfield had been nonetheless moist and deserted the competition.
The Foxes, third place in Division Two, knew that solely a win would realistically be sufficient to maintain alive their probability of travelling to Chester-le-Road for the ultimate spherical of fixtures subsequent week with any practical probability of becoming a member of their hosts, Durham, in Division One subsequent season.
To rub salt in Leicestershire’s wounds, in addition they lose one in all their three bonus factors due to a gradual over-rate.
With promotion rivals Worcestershire held to a draw by Durham at New Street and claiming three bonus factors, it leaves a 22-point hole between the edges going into the ultimate spherical subsequent week.
Worcestershire – with 5 wins to Leicestershire’s three – now want solely to select up two bonus factors of their remaining match towards Yorkshire at Headingley to verify their very own promotion and depart the Foxes upset.
Leicestershire lowered Yorkshire to 140-4 of their second innings on the ultimate morning, leaving the guests successfully 62-4 with nonetheless probably 82 overs remaining within the contest.
Yorkshire had been 225-4, 147 in entrance, with James Wharton unbeaten on 58 and George Hill on 32 when the gamers left the sphere for what turned out to be the final time at 13:32 BST.
After the ultimate day started on time and in sunny situations, Leicestershire’s bowlers made two breakthroughs within the first 35 minutes, and a 3rd on the hour, however any notion that they could run by Yorkshire’s batting in brief order dissipated in what remained of the primary session.
Chris Wright despatched center stump out of the bottom to take away nightwatchman Ben Coad, Tom Scriven claimed an vital scalp when Shan Masood edged to second slip, and Will Davis struck along with his first ball of the day as Adam Lyth stepped throughout his stumps to be pinned in entrance making an attempt to work the ball to leg.
At that time, Yorkshire had been wobbling just a little at 140-4, simply 62 in entrance.
However after Hill had taken three boundaries in as many balls off Davis and Wharton picked up three fours off Scott Currie within the subsequent over, the momentum shifted sufficient for Yorkshire to stretch their benefit to 131 by lunch with no additional losses.
A luxurious cowl drive gave Wharton a tenth 4 and his fifty – a 3rd in simply eight first-class matches – instantly after the interval.
However solely 22 balls might be bowled within the afternoon earlier than the primary of three heavy downpours compelled the gamers off the sphere.
It meant that solely 147 overs had been attainable over the 4 days, with no play attainable in any respect on day two.
Leicestershire skipper Lewis Hill:
“It’s a frustration that we couldn’t have gotten a bit extra cricket this afternoon. It was shaping as much as be a pleasant recreation on the end.
“We batted nicely in patches and bowled nicely in patches, so we weren’t at our greatest. There have been some drained our bodies from the beginning of this week. The ultimate took quite a bit out of us bodily and mentally.
“Going into the ultimate recreation, profitable promotion now’s unlikely. We wanted to win this however you by no means say by no means. And to have gained a trophy after which gone into the final week nonetheless in with an opportunity, it exhibits the strides the crew has made this 12 months.
“It’s a large enchancment on the place we now have been the previous couple of years. We’re shedding three massive gamers subsequent season and there could also be others going too and we want them nicely. However we have got our two abroad gamers coming again subsequent 12 months, which is an announcement of religion within the membership.”
Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson:
“The frustration ranges are sky-high. Right here we are actually this afternoon standing round like we did in the beginning of the sport 4 days in the past after we had been off for the wind.
“The sport was boiling up properly, and it might have been a very attention-grabbing end this afternoon. However the climate has put paid to a different Yorkshire match, which is desperately disappointing.
“It was good to see us bat quite a bit higher within the second innings, particularly to see James Wharton getting runs. He is somebody we predict actually extremely of, so it was good to see him knuckle down after he misjudged one within the first innings. He was actually fluent within the second innings.
“Lythy and Beany have been excellent for us all season. They’re each within the 900s for runs (within the Championship). It was the fourth time they’ve placed on 100. That is an actual optimistic.”
Report equipped by ECB Reporters’ Community.