Leicestershire Refuse to Fold After Points Penalty as Relegation Battle Intensifies

A match that Leicestershire’s points deduction has turned into a Division One relegation decider for one or both of these sides sits intriguingly in the balance at Uptonsteel Grace Road, where Leicestershire will need 178 runs or Hampshire seven wickets on the final day after the home side, chasing 334 in their second innings, closed on 156 for three, after England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed was out for 55.

Earlier, Hampshire had been bowled out for 363 in their second innings, of which Nick Gubbins made 133. Ajaz Patel took four for 103 and Ian Holland three for 37 as Leicestershire’s most successful bowlers.

There is plenty at stake. A draw sends both counties down but, assuming a positive result, the losing side will be confirmed as relegated to Division Two with the winner taking a mathematical chance of survival into the final week of the Rothesay County Championship season, albeit tenuous in both cases.

After the hammer blow of the 27-point sub-standard pitch penalty announced on Wednesday evening, Leicestershire’s would depend not only on winning away to title contenders Warwickshire but in doing so taking 20 points more than Essex pick up from their trip to Glamorgan.

Hampshire’s task if successful here would be easier, if only marginally so, first requiring them to beat Sussex at home, and again assuming minor gains by Essex in Cardiff.  
Given the news overnight, with Leicestershire’s stay in Division One hanging by a thread after just one season, few spectators would have been surprised had Hampshire merely added to the punishment.

Yet competitive instincts reasserted themselves. Nightwatcher Manny Lumsden, leg before on the sweep, was the only casualty in the first 40 minutes, but once the new ball was available, things began to happen. Winning a place in Sunday’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup final line-up was another incentive.

Holland needed only six deliveries to make an impact as Gubbins, who had added just nine to his overnight 124, edged to second slip. Ben Green induced a leading edge to mid-on from Ben Brown and was unlucky not to find more success during a testing spell.

Tom Scriven found late movement to remove Joe Weatherley before Ajaz Patel struck twice with his left-arm spin, Ben Mayes edging to slip and Scott Currie hoicking to mid-on, giving the New Zealand international four wickets in a Leicestershire shirt for the first time.

When Holland had James Fuller palpably leg before, raising the Leicestershire’s captain tally to nine wickets in the match, Hampshire had lost their last six for 80 runs.

With time on their side, Leicestershire could afford to be risk averse and by tea had cut the target to 258 with 32 overs left in the day and potentially another 96 on Friday.

The one wicket to fall had been that of Rishi Patel, caught behind off  Currie’s lovely late away-swinger. Patel will be a Hampshire player next season, so this was his last innings on the ground in a Leicestershire shirt.

Hampshire’s second breakthrough came 10 overs after tea as Sheridon Gumbs, having built patiently to that point, launched Felix Organ’s off-spin for six over long off, but then reached for a ball that spun away from him and hit straight to short extra cover.

Rehan, whose eight fours included some lovely shots square or behind square on the off side, completed a half-century from 78 balls. He was dropped without addition, Lumsden not quite managing to hold on to a difficult chance square on the leg side, but had added only five more when Lumsden himself had him caught at slip. Bad light brought a close with six overs lost.