Leaders Leicestershire thrash lacklustre Lancashire

Third day, Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester, home of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two

Lancashire 206 &amp, 248: Jennings 112, Van Beek 4-61

Leicestershire 457: Ahmed 136, Hill 119, Holland 50, Balderson 3-106

By an innings and three runs, Lancashire defeated Leicestershire (34) in the final match of the 24pts.

Leicestershire won Division Two of the County Championship by an innings and three runs, extending Leicestershire’s remarkable season.

With a 251-run lead in the first innings, which was largely contributed by Rehan Ahmed and Lewis Hill’s centuries, they bowled Lancashire out for 248 to claim their fifth win of the season.

No other batter recorded more than 26 in yet another disappointing performance from the winless visitors, despite Keaton Jennings’ characterful 112 earlier this month, which gave his side hope of salvaging something.

With a 4-61, Logan van Beek took the most wickets for Leicestershire, followed by Ahmed, Tom Scriven, and Josh Hull, who each took two wickets.

Leicestershire may have anticipated runs would be easier for them on day three despite their mercurial run-rate of 4.23 runs per over on Saturday, but it took 29 overs to cut 74 off their deficit in the first session.

In addition, they lost three wickets, including, perhaps most worryingly, Marcus Harris, their top scorer and primary hope of avoiding defeat in this match.

Before lunch, the Australian was killed as captain Peter Handscomb resurrected his first-day strategy of bringing back his new-ball bowlers for a pre-interval burst in the penultimate over. Then it was successful, and Harris was successful again when he was caught behind 20 when he flashed at a ball outside of stump.

After dismissing Luke Wells and Josh Bohannon in three deliveries, Van Beek had taken his third wicket of the morning, going 2-9 from six overs from his debut.

Lewis Hill took a well-judged catch at the wide third man with a gusty crosswind, adding an extra element of difficulty, and Wells used an uppercut to lift a short delivery over the slip cordon. Then Bohannon made a second-ball duck and edged to second-place.

However, Van Beek’s breakthrough before lunch on day one, which was largely attributed to Jennings, who helped Lancashire to 209-5 at tea as a result of his 32nd first-class hundred of his career, his 16th for his current county, prevent the collapse that was sparked by the actor’s breakthrough.

He survived a chance on 58 when a diving Ben Cox couldn’t get his gloves around a flick down the legside off Hull, but it was undoubtedly not the most fluid among them on a pitch that was beginning to produce variable bounce.

Jennings reached the milestone with a meaty pull off Van Beek, who had a 10th boundary after being backed up by Matty Hurst, who was caught behind off a fine delivery by Scriven.

George Bell’s dismissal off a top-edged pull just before tea detracted a little from what had otherwise been a successful session for the visitors, who were still 42 behind at the break.

Jennings fell seven overs into the evening session, which gave rise to his demise as a result of a ball that travelled off a length from Scriven and caught the batter’s right glove, and Handscomb made an excellent catch at slip to give him the breakthrough Leicestershire needed.

After that, Lancashire slowly lost its way. Tom Bailey was caught behind after being caught by the England all-rounder by trapping Anderson Phillip leg before, and Hume brought one back to bowl George Balderson and Ahmed’s leg spin.

In a season where promotion already seems to be on the line with the Championship season only halfway through, Hull then made a magnificent catch off his own bowling to remove Tom Hartley and ignite Leicestershire’s celebrations.