Monster 10th Wicket Partnership Not Enough
Aug 24 2012
Leicestershire v Hampshire
LV= County Championship
Tues 21 – Fri 24 August
Grace Road
Summary: Leicestershire beat Hampshire by 126 runs
Leicestershire: 356 & 265-8
Hampshire: 181 & 314
Scorecard
Concurrent Table
Leicestershire Team
Jones, Thornely, Eckersley†, Sarwan, Cobb, Boyce, Thakor, White, Buck, Hoggard*, Wyatt
Hampshire Team
Adams*, Carberry, McKenzie, Katich, Dawson, Ervine, Bates†, Wood, Balcombe, Ali, Tomlinson
Hampshire’s final wicket partnership of 168 was the highest of the match and even, possibly, had Leicestershire feeling the jitters for a short time but it was never really going to be enough to prevent the visitors from falling to a 126-run defeat on day four of this LV= County Championship match at Grace Road.
Chris Wood (105 not out) took the lead by scoring his maiden First Class century from 82 balls including 15 fours and two sixes. But he was splendidly supported by David Balcombe who, having enjoyed some nice cameos already this season, added to his burgeoning reputation with the bat by equalling his own career-best score of 73 (70 balls, nine fours, two sixes).
In the end, though, it was too little too late, and probably only came about because, having come to the crease with their team 146-9 (still 295 away from victory) they were able to play with the freedom of a team condemned to a loss.
Earlier, Hampshire had struggled to build on an overnight score of 77-4 – a figure that already looked daunting enough as it required 365 more to be added to it for victory.
And when nightwatchman, James Tomlinson (10), then two replacements fell within four balls just 10 overs into the day the daunting became the impossible as Hampshire found themselves 110-7 with Liam Dawson running out of partners.
When he fell, agonisingly, just one run short of a half-century, that looked to be that.
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Click on the image above to see highlights of this day's play
However, to Wood and Balcombe’s credit, they hoisted Hampshire to a more respectable total of 314 and even – with such belligerent hitting – gave the travelling support a little taste of what is hopefully to come when the Royals turn out for Friends Life t20 Finals Day on Saturday.
Hampshire take three points from the match and remain in second place in Division Two ahead of their penultimate Championship match – and final home First Class fixture – of the season against Essex in two week’s time.
Words: Simon Vincent
Images: LMI Photography