Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire: Day 3 report

Final score: 

Notts won by 10 wickets

Leicestershire 251 & 81 

Nottinghamshire 329 & 9-0

Day three report

Nottinghamshire took less than an hour to complete a 10-wicket victory over Leicestershire on the third day of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two match at Grace Road.

The home side resumed on 51 for six and still needed another 27 runs to make the visitors bat again.

However, Leicestershire's remaining batsmen could not cope with the pace of Nottinghamshire bowler James Pattinson.

Night-watchman Gavin Griffiths was first to go, edging Pattinson to third slip, where Greg Smith took a fine two-handed catch diving to his right.

Zak Chappell was caught behind off the inside edge, and Leicestershire captain Mark Cosgrove mis-pulled Luke Fletcher to Michael Lumb at midwicket.

Pattinson then ripped out Clint McKay's off-stump, giving the Australian figures of five for 29 for the innings, to go with three for 55 in Leicestershire's first knock.

The visitors were left with the simple task of scoring four runs to win and, with three on the board, opener Smith did it in style by hitting a six off Paul Horton when a single would have been enough.

Pattinson also hit a first-class career-best 89 not out in the match to complete an outstanding debut for Nottinghamshire.

The victory was Nottinghamshire's first in the County Championship since beating Surrey in the first game of the 2016 campaign and showed their intent to return to the top flight after last season's relegation.

The defeat completes a deflating few days for Leicestershire, who were deducted 16 points on the eve of the season following an incident in their match against Loughborough MCCU.

Leicestershire, who were also fined £5,000 for incurring five fixed-penalty breaches within the space of 12 months, picked up five points against Nottinghamshire but are still in arrears because of the deduction.

Day two report

James Pattinson starred with bat and ball for Nottinghamshire as they turned the screw on Leicestershire on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship game at Grace Road.

The Australia international hit a first-class career best 89 not out, compiling a partnership of 122 with Stuart Broad which swung the match firmly in Nottinghamshire's favour, before picking up two quick wickets as the visitors laid waste the Foxes' second innings.

Leicestershire closed the day on 51 for six in their second innings, still trailing by 27 runs with four wickets remaining after Notts ended their first innings with 329 runs.

Luke Fletcher (three for 14) and Broad (one for nine) also claimed wickets as the hosts stuttered on Saturday afternoon.

It was a remarkable turnaround in fortunes after Leicestershire's seamers, led by Ben Raine who finished with a career-best six for 66, had bowled their side into the ascendancy, reducing Notts to 167 for seven by mid-afternoon, still 84 behind on first innings.

But Pattinson middled the ball from the start, barely playing a false shot in going to his half-century off 63 balls, the highlight a huge straight six off the off-spin of Colin Ackermann.

Broad, in contrast, rarely found the middle of the bat and was frequently discomfited by the pace of Zak Chappell, backing away and edging in the air on both sides of the wicket.

None of the edges went to hand, however, and once Chappell was removed from the attack, Broad settled, reaching 50 off 62 balls, before going leg before to a Mark Cosgrove delivery that stayed a touch low while on 52.

Having run out of partners with a maiden first-class century in sight, Pattinson made up for any disappointment by quickly finding the edge of opener Harry Dearden's bat with ball that left the left-hander.

Paul Horton unaccountably shouldered arms to a perfectly straight delivery from Broad, and for the second time in the match Pattinson defeated Ackermann with full, fast delivery that seamed back into the South African's pads.

Fletcher then bowled a fine spell of out-swing, picking up three wickets to open the possibility of a two day victory. Cosgrove's steadfastness ensured his side would at least avoid that embarrassment.

Day one report

England paceman Stuart Broad led the way as Nottinghamshire put themselves in a strong position after day one against Leicestershire in the Specsavers County Championship.

The season-opening Division Two clash came a day after Leicestershire were docked 16 points and fined £5,000 for incurring five fixed-penalty breaches within the space of 12 months.

And the news got little better when Broad struck in the first over at Grace Road on his way to figures of three for 45 in the home team's 251 all out. Nottinghamshire reached 52 for one at stumps.

Broad and James Pattinson represent a formidable opening attack and both prospered.

Early morning sunshine was replaced by heavy grey cloud and that made Nottinghamshire skipper Chris Read's decision to bowl first an easy one.

Broad made an immediate breakthrough, though good fortune was a factor as Paul Horton tried to leave his sixth delivery only for the ball to clip the inside edge and cannon on to leg stump.

Australian Pattinson, making his championship debut, then produced a quick delivery to trap Colin Ackermann leg before, the ball seaming back just enough to beat the South African's defensive push, and former Leicestershire left-armer Harry Gurney pressed home the advantage.

Teenage opener Harry Dearden had batted solidly in reaching 12 but then fenced at a delivery just outside off stump to edge a catch behind.

Gurney picked up his second wicket when an in-swinger knocked Mark Pettini's off stump out of the ground, and though Lewis Hill looked in good touch, hitting five boundaries in racing to 24, Pattinson's return saw him steer a short, wide delivery in the over before lunch straight to point. Leicestershire captain Mark Cosgrove, watching on 40 not out, was not impressed.

The clouds were beginning to clear when Ned Eckersley was beaten for pace and fell leg-before to Broad. Cosgrove brought up his half-century, including nine fours, off 70 balls, but soon afterwards drove at a Broad delivery and edged a catch behind to Chris Read, out for 57. Read's 1,000th first-class catch was a suitably outstanding effort, picked up low and tumbling to his left.

Zak Chappell batted well to reach 30 before edging to second slip, but Ben Raine was joined by Clint McKay, and with conditions improving with every passing hour, the ninth-wicket pair dug in, compiling a partnership of 81 for the ninth wicket that lifted the hosts to respectability. Raine made a highly useful 55 not out.

Nottinghamshire made a steady if unspectacular start to their reply.

Had Ackermann not dropped Michael Lumb at second slip off Chappell on nought, shortly after the promising Chappell had dismissed Greg Smith, Leicestershire would have finished the day with their tails up.

As it was, for all the Foxes' tail wagged, Nottinghamshire's batsmen will relish the prospect of building a big first-innings score on what looks a very good track.