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Match report day 3 Yorkshire v Leicestershire Championship 2004
by John Ward


Scorecard:Yorkshire v Leicestershire

Overnight: Leicestershire 76/2 off 25.2 overs (Hodge 30*, Sadler 6*).
Lunch: Leicestershire 177/5 off 60 overs (Stevens 50*, DeFreitas 10*).
Tea: Leicestershire 237/6 off 72 overs (DeFreitas 52*, Gibson 0*).
Close: No further play.

 

Three days gone, 240 overs lost and the first innings of the match still not completed. This was the sorry tale from Headingley Stadium, and it remains to be seen whether the fourth day will produce yet more rain or an artificial finish.

 

The third day’s play began with fewer than 26 overs bowled thus far in the match, and under a cloudy sky where more rain was not imminent but certainly possible. Yorkshire soon struck. After Tim Bresnan finished his incomplete over of the previous day, Chris Silverwood struck gold with his first ball. Left-hander John Sadler drove at a ball just outside his off stump and presented a low firm catch to Craig White in the gully. He had scored 6 out of the overnight score of 76, the third wicket to fall.

 

This over from Silverwood was probably better in line and length than any he had bowled on the second day, as he kept the ball up to the bat and generally on the off stump. Steve Kirby took over from Bresnan, and in his first over wicketkeeper Simon Guy missed a hard low chance offered by Brad Hodge, in front of first slip. Guy has not had a good season behind the stumps, and this miss appeared further to dent his confidence, as he had trouble taking cleanly several of Kirby’s wilder deliveries. He could do with some coaching in traditional wicketkeeping techniques.

 

Hodge’s luck soon ran out dramatically, though. Silverwood had found lift from the pitch, especially on the second day, but now Hodge understandably played back to a length ball that shot through low and hit him below the knee roll, right in front of the stumps. He scored 37, with the score 91 for four.

 

Silverwood beat Paul Nixon several times without finding the edge of the bat, and a bad ball down the leg side gave the beleaguered batsman the chance to pull it for four. Then Yorkshire missed another opportunity when Darren Stevens edged Silverwood for a head-high chance to second slip Matthew Wood, but it went down.

 

Nixon took a while to settle down, but he went into the twenties with two beautifully timed pulls for four off short deliveries from Bresnan. In the latter’s next over Stevens edged a ball well to the wide of second slip Wood, who was unable to pull off what would have been a brilliant catch. He did seem to be batting with less confidence than when he started. Nixon was next to go, prodding tentatively outside off stump to Bresnan and being given out caught at the wicket for 23; 152 for five.

 

Wood had another difficult but unfortunate miss, as Phil DeFreitas on 5 edged White very low to his right. Yorkshire were having a bad time of it in the field. Just before lunch White finally brought on spinners Richard Dawson and Darren Lehmann, and bowled them in tandem. A short ball from Dawson for the last delivery before lunch allowed Stevens, who had regained his touch, a square cut for four that took him to his fifty.

 

White did not return to the field after lunch, having strained a hamstring. Wood took over as captain and returned to his pacemen, but this was an unfortunate decision as they bowled poorly, especially the disappointing Kirby. He was replaced by Bresnan, who was equally erratic. DeFreitas especially took advantage with some strong hits on either side of the wicket – depending where the bowler sprayed each particular ball. 17 came off one over from Bresnan from the bat of DeFreitas, while Silverwood was little better. Fumbling fielders only made the situation worse.

 

Finally Kirby struck, with a bit of help from Stevens’ bat, as he played back to a short ball and dragged it on to his stumps. He made 67, and Leicestershire were 234 for six, after a dashing partnership of 82, 49 of them to DeFreitas. He reached his first fifty of the season, off 65 balls, in the following over.

 

All this time the weather was closing in, and the news was that this was the only county match still in progress due to rain. That did not last long, and Ottis Gibson had only faced a few balls when the drizzle started and the cricket stopped, with the score 237 for six. The rain turned heavy, but did not last long; an early tea was taken.

 

It took a long while after tea before the outfield was dry enough, despite a rather weak sun. At 4.10 the umpires announced an inspection at 5.30, but it was clear that any more rain would end play for the day. Soon after 5.00, the answer was clear: more rain.

 


(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)

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