[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Day Two

Morning: Thursday was more of the same weather-wise, but the storm brewing online was over the news that Adam Finch had been replaced in the Worcestershire XI with the outgoing Josh Tongue, quite possibly at the ECB's insistence. Regardless, Matthew Waite kicked things off by sneaking one under the bat of Callum Parkinson to dismiss him LBW for 3, and while the predicted counter-attack from Rehan Ahmed whittled away a score of runs, an attempted leg-glance off Dillon Pennington resulted in a spooned-up leading edge taken comfortably behind the slip cordon for 44. 110 all out, a first-innings lead of 68 was Worcestershire's deserved reward, and knowing attack would be the best form of defence, the Pears openers scored briskly until Gareth Roderick edged Chris Wright to third slip for 13. The same bowler skittled Azhar Ali for 6, but playing on a different pitch to everyone else in Oakham, Jake Libby completed a 51-ball half-century - the first and possibly only of the match - before the fall of Jack Haynes, caught behind for 4 off Matt Salisbury, ushered in lunch on 81-3 with a lead of 149.

Afternoon: The best news the second session could offer was that there was no sign of improvement in the pitch, as the Pears once again subsided. Adam Hose was first to go, caught and bowled by Wright for 12, followed by Libby edging Wiaan Mulder behind for 67 and Waite having his stumps rearranged by Wright for 2. Joe Leach was then guilty of the one truly careless wicket as he ran himself out for 2, and though Josh Baker was happy to wheel out some of his favourite shots, on 11 he struck one too well and sent it to the grateful hands of deep cover. Brett D'Oliveira had looked like the man to shepherd the tail, and was in danger of being stranded with the procession of partners coming and going, but then he too edged Mulder to first slip somewhat tamely, leaving New Road's two personae non gratae to get their practice in for life at Nottinghamshire with a last stand of 25, setting a target of 238 for Leics to win; the same number that Worcestershire successfully chased on a similar pitch at Merchant Taylors this time last year. But the chances of history repeating itself - or at least echoing in an unwelcome fashion - were dealt a blow when the fifth ball of the chase from Leachy swung a little away from Louis Kimber's drive, sending a nick flying low through to the keeper for a duck, and Rishi Patel's tentative forward defensive to Pennington ended up in the hands of second slip for 5 before tea was taken on 29-2.

Evening: While the plethora of wickets in many outground games can be so much ammunition for county critics bemoaning the state of English quick bowling, the rhythm of a match like this - the storms and lulls, the pressure-building maidens and relief-bringing boundary balls, and those curious periods when both sides seem to settle into a period of wary stalemate - are what riveting cricket is made of. The potentially dangerous Colin Ackermann was removed for 15 shortly after the interval off the bowling of Waite and a slip catch not without controversy, popping out of the fielder's hands and along the inside of his forearms, with maybe a touch of grass on the way, before being claimed; but there was no doubting the two scalps in an over for Josh Tongue, who cartwheeled the off stump of Peter Handscomb for 3 before having Mulder caught by the little green man behind the stumps for a duck. At 53-5 the Foxes were on the ropes, but then came the cut and thrust of a determined rebuild by Lewis Hill and Rehan Ahmed, who soldiered on for 39 hard-fought runs until Pennington had Hill strangled down the leg-side for 35; once again, one brought two in the over, and Tom Scriven edged Pennington behind for a duck three balls later to leave the hosts seven down before they'd reached three figures. Bad light curtailed a nineteen-wicket day with Leicestershire 114-7, still requiring 124 to win, and with Rehan Ahmed going at a run a ball as he was twenty-four hours ago. The way we've seen tails wag and outground pitches miraculously improve in the past is enough to keep any Pears fan wary overnight, and there's no doubt that Wright and Ahmed can do ample damage between them in the morning, so tomorrow's bowling and fielding efforts need to be 100% from the first ball. There's a third win of the season to be had here, but it's not in the bag yet.