Foxes dig in to battle out draw

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Grace Road:
Essex 427-6 dec drew with Leicestershire 238 & 123-3 (Leics 7pts, Essex 12pts)

Match scorecard

Taylor top scored for Leicestershire, making 88 in their first innings

Leicestershire survived being made to follow-on as they battled out a draw with Essex at Grace Road.

The home side resumed their first innings on 61-3 and were all out for 238, James Taylor top scoring with 88.

Essex, with a lead of 189, asked the Foxes to bat again, and they made 123-3 before both sides agreed to a draw.

The result leaves Essex in fifth place in Division Two, only three points behind a promotion spot, while Leicestershire are second from bottom.

Leicestershire still needed 217 runs to avoid the follow-on at the start of the day.

But Essex struck early, Chris Wright removing HD Ackerman for 15 to leave the home side on 81-4.

Jim Allenby and Taylor steadied the Leicestershire innings before Allenby was caught behind off the bowling of David Masters for 71.

Tony Palladino re-entered the attack for Essex and got two wickets in two balls, removing Tom New for nine and trapping George Walker lbw for a duck, to finish the innings with 4-68.

Wright removed Iain O'Brien in controversial circumstances when he appeared to edge a catch to James Foster.

O'Brien, disputing the decision, believed the ball had clipped the off-stump rather than his bat, but his reaction to his dismissal could well lead to disciplinary action.

Ryan ten Doeschate took the final wicket of the innings, dismissing top scorer Taylor for 88 by having him caught by David Masters at deep point.

Following on, Leicestershire lost their first three wickets for 62 runs.

Masters trapped Cobb lbw for six, Palladino also removed Dippenaar lbw for nine and Wright bowled Ackerman for 19.

But, Matthew Boyce and Allenby frustrated the Essex bowlers, making 45 and 34 not out respectively, to ensure the game would end in draw.

Essex coach Paul Grayson told BBC Radio Essex:

"We ran out of time. I thought we were excellent with the ball today. Tony Palladino bowled well at Guildford last week and continued this week as well.

"I think there has been some positive signs the past couple of weeks. We had a good performance at Guildford and coming hear to Grace Road. If the rain kept away, I believe we would have secured maximum points.

"We keep that performance up, we will be there or there abouts when it comes to promotion come September.