South African duo Boeta Dippenaar and HD Ackerman steered Leicestershire to 288-4 by the close of the first day of the Division Two Championship match.

Both scored half-centuries as they shared a third-wicket stand of 109.

Ackerman has already scored four centuries this season and looked set for a fifth before he was out for 62, while Dippenaar fell for 80.

Dippenaar and Ackerman were two of the 10 South African players taking part in the match - five on each side.

But Leicestershire chief executive David Smith defended his club's policy and said: "We have to accept that it is not popular with everyone but in the long term we have a development programme in place.

"It is important, however, that we also become competitive."