Northamptonshire v Leicestershire: Scores and match report

Match scores (County Ground, Northampton)

Northamptonshire won by two runs        

Northamptonshire 1st inns: 261 (Duckett 112, Holden 92; Klein 6-80, Pillans 2-61)

Northamptonshire 2nd inns: 289-7 dec (Wakely 112, Keogh 105*; Ackermann 3-45)

Leicestershire 1st inns: 157 (Hill 38*, Pillans 35; Gleeson 3-33, Sanderson 3-36, Azharullah 3-52)

Leicestershire 2nd inns: 391 (Ackermann 105, Cosgrove 76, Pillans 56, Eckersley 42; Gleeson 4-109, Kleinveldt 3-65)

Day four report

Northamptonshire plucked victory from the jaws of defeat against Leicestershire to win the Specsavers County Championship day-night match by just two runs at Wantage Road.

Colin Ackermann's 105 and Mathew Pillans' late-order 56 were steering Leicestershire towards a record chase of 394 before the latter, with only last man Dieter Klein for company, received a ball from Rory Kleinveldt that bounced a little more and took the splice of the bat to point.

Leicestershire old-boy Josh Cobb dived forward to take the catch and Northants pulled a win out of the fire as the Foxes were dismissed for 391.

A thrilling final day where Leicestershire resumed needing 350 more to win with 10 wickets in hand swayed back and forth.

Arun Harinath and Paul Horton fell in quick succession following a half-century opening stand, to Ben Sanderson and Richard Gleeson respectively, before Ackermann and Mark Cosgrove added 127.

Ned Eckersley, with 42, supported Ackermann in a partnership of 58, but the former and Neil Dexter both departed quickly.

At 299 for five Leicestershire were on course to win, only for Gleeson to take two wickets in as many deliveries seven overs into the second new ball.

First Lewis Hill drove at one that left him and edged to first slip. Next ball, a knee-high slower delivery struck Rob Sayer and he was given out lbw to record a pair.

But then Pillans, on loan from Surrey, swatted a 41-ball 50 - for the first time in first-class cricket - to revive the visitors' hopes.

In need of another breakthrough, Gleeson delivered - drawing an edge from Ackermann to wicketkeeper Ben Duckett after an innings, which consisted of 198 balls and included 14 fours and a six, worthy of winning a game.

When Clint McKay also fell caught behind to Kleinveldt, 26 were still needed.

Yet back came Leicestershire. 

Klein survived for 20 balls and escaped an edge behind the wicket that Duckett dropped diving to his right when seven were needed.

He and Pillans nudged Leicestershire to within one hit.

Gleeson bowled a maiden to Klein before Kleinveldt came up with the winning moment - a potentially pivotal one for Northants' hopes of promotion.

Leicestershire were heartbroken and denied a first win of the season. 

Day three report

Centuries from Alex Wakely and Rob Keogh gave Northamptonshire an excellent chance to pick up a fifth victory of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two season.

The duo put the home side in a strong position which allowed them to set Leicestershire 394 to win at Wantage Road. 

By the close of day three the visitors had survived for 16 overs to reach 44 without loss.

Both Wakely and Keogh made their first Championship centuries of the season as Northants quickly built up a big lead.

They declared in perfect time with the skies dark enough to encourage the pink ball to swing under the floodlights but unlike on the first evening where the hosts took four wickets, they failed to find a breakthrough as Paul Horton and on-loan Surrey batsman Arun Harinath got through a very tricky period.

Several edges fell short of the slip cordon and strong lbw appeals from Richard Gleeson against Harinath and Azharullah against Horton were turned down.

Until the wicketless final hour, it was a perfect day for Northants. After a three-hour delay due to a wet outfield, Wakely and Keogh resumed with their side 60 for three and the game still in the balance.

But Leicestershire could not swing the ball and did not bowl accurately enough to even contain Northants as 146 runs came in 28 overs before tea.

Wakely suggested Northants would look to be positive before the start of play and was true to his word.

He made half-centuries in the second innings of Northants' previous two matches and here went past fifty again in 55 balls with five fours, only after being put down by Harinath at point on 44.

He looked in excellent touch - rocking back to pull Dieter Klein over mid-wicket and lifting Rob Sayer's off spin over long-on for six. 

A fierce cut against Matt Pillans raced to the cover point boundary to raise a century in 108 balls before Wakely was eventually caught at short third man for 112 trying to reserve sweep Sayer.

With Keogh, Wakely shared 171 for the fourth wicket - a partnership that took the game away from Leicestershire, who bizarrely only used their strike bowler Klein for seven overs in the second innings.

Keogh's day began with a clip to fine leg for four and he played the shot of the match - a gorgeous extra-cover drive off Clint McKay - on his way to just a second Championship fifty of the season which came in 77 balls and with seven fours.

He then skipped down the pitch to lift Sayer over mid-off before sweeping the same bowler for another boundary in front of square.

He took tea on 70 not out and after the break was forced to work the bowling around against a defensive field, eventually going through to his seventh first-class century in 136 balls - a very pleasant innings and much needed after a poor first half of the Championship season.

It helped Northants set up a big target for Leicestershire who made it to the close without loss ahead of a difficult final day. 

Day two report

Northamptonshire took charge of their Specsavers County Championship clash with Leicestershire at Wantage Road after bowling the visitors out for 157.

The hosts then moved on to 60 for three in their second innings at stumps, leaving them with a lead of 164 before rain curtailed play in the second division clash.

With a first-innings advantage of 104, Northants were reduced to 12 for two before Alex Wakely's unbeaten 34 steered them into a healthy-looking position to the close, although setting a target above 300 will still be a challenge if cloudy floodlit conditions remain on day three.

Northants were set for a much bigger first-innings lead when Leicestershire slumped to 86 for eight before the first interval but a stand of 60 for the ninth wicket between Lewis Hill and Mathew Pillans ensured the follow-on would not be of concern.

The home side made the perfect start taking three wickets inside the opening 25 minutes of play without conceding a run.

The first of those was Clint McKay, who was dropped from the final ball of day one but caught off the first ball he faced on day two, driving loosely at Richard Gleeson and edging to first slip Chesney Hughes.

Ben Sanderson then nipped a ball back into Colin Ackerman, forcing an inside edge into the off stump and Gleeson struck again when Ned Eckersley tamely chipped a catch to point. 

When Azharullah trapped Neil Dexter lbw for 11, Leicestershire were facing the prospect of being asked to follow-on but Hill rode his luck and with Pillans they avoided being asked to bat again.

The second session was delayed by 55 minutes by the lightest of drizzle but when play did resume, Northants took only six overs to remove the Leicestershire tail.

Sanderson, who probed away without full reward in the opening session, changed ends to send a ball from wider on the crease through bat and pad to bowl Pillans. He finished with three for 36 from 20 overs.

Azharullah cleaned up last man Dieter Klein and Leicestershire's 157 still handed Northants a healthy first-innings lead.

Conditions favoured the bowlers all day with the floodlights on under gloomy skies and Leicestershire responded with two early wickets.

Rob Newton was lbw to Klein for the second time in the game and Ben Duckett, after a first-innings century, was taken at second slip off McKay for a second-ball duck.

Max Holden's 37-ball stay featured countless plays-and-misses, driving McKay in particular to distraction.

He eventually edged Pillans to first slip for 13 to give Leicestershire a third wicket and hope of getting back into the game but then the rain came.

Day one report

Ben Duckett made a sparkling century as Northamptonshire took early control of their day-night Specsavers County Championship clash with Leicestershire.

Ducket's 89-ball ton helped the hosts score 261 at Wantage Road despite Dieter Klein taking six wickets with the pink ball.

And Northants ripped through the Leicestershire top order under the floodlights to leave the visitors reeling at 65 for four at stumps on day one of the Division Two contest.

Ben Sanderson and Rory Kleinveldt induced edges behind the wicket from both Leicestershire openers before Richard Gleeson, playing his first championship match of the season, pinned Mark Cosgrove lbw and Azharullah bowled nightwatchman Rob Sayer second ball.

It could have been even better for Northants as Duckett's 112 had put them in a strong position, only for them to collapse from 211 for three.

Duckett made a century in the opening session of the match. He has struggled for form so far this season, having made just two half-centuries in the championship, but found his groove with a breezy ton that featured 21 boundaries.

He initially feasted on some loose Leicestershire bowling on a wicket that appeared easy-paced and prompted the introduction of spin in just the 14th over of the day.

An early Duckett drive spooned past extra-cover but he soon found his timing and drove Klein delightfully down the ground, cut Clint McKay past point and lifted Sayer over long-on in reaching 50 in just 41 balls. He then twice paddle swept Neil Dexter to the fine-leg boundary in going to a first century of the season.

But he added only 12 in the second session before sweeping Sayer off a top edge that was superbly caught by McKay at short fine leg tumbling back.

It ended a stand of 136 for the third wicket with Max Holden (92) that had recovered the innings from a difficult start after Klein had cheaply removed both Rob Newton and Alex Wakely lbw.

Holden and Rob Keogh added 51 runs for the third wicket but a superb yorker from Klein took out Keogh's off stump and sparked a remarkable collapse.

First Chesney Hughes was caught at slip before Josh Cobb pushed a ball towards mid-off, set off for a sharp single and was run out by McKay's direct hit.

Kleinveldt then pushed outside off stump and edged Klein to wicketkeeper Lewis Hill, Sanderson edged a hook to be caught at the wicket before Azharullah and Holden fell to Klein.