LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Grace Road:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY ONE: Worcestershire 308 Leicestershire 9-0
Worcestershire 3pts Leicestershire 3pts
Match scorecard

Hoggard took three of the first four Worcestershire wickets to fall

Half-centuries from Moeen Ali, Daryl Mitchell and Gareth Andrew helped Worcestershire edge the honours on day one at Grace Road.

Moeen and Mitchell's third-wicket stand of 145 helped Worcestershire to 308 after Phil Jaques and Vikram Solanki were dismissed early.

Leicestershire captain Matthew Hoggard claimed 3-69 and 19-year-old Nathan Buck 3-64.

The home side then survived two awkward overs to reach stumps on 9-0.

There was a degree of surprise when Worcestershire captain Vikram Solanki chose to bat first on a green-looking pitch, the more so when Jaques and Solanki himself went quickly.

But Solanki, who popped up an easy catch off Hoggard, was able to breathe easier after the partnership between Mitchell and Moeen launched the recovery.

The third-wicket pair rode their luck at times but also profited from some erratic bowling from the home attack who failed to make the most of the conditions.

Moeen raced to 50 by hitting left-arm spinner Claude Henderson for 18 off one over, registering his half-century off 60 balls. Mitchell reached 50 off 93 balls shortly after lunch.

The partnership was broken by Hoggard, who trapped Moeen leg before wicket as he tried to work the ball on the leg side after making 80 off 127 balls.

His departure triggered a middle-order collapse as Leicestershire regained the initiative. Hoggard snapped up his third wicket by trapping Mitchell lbw, Ben Smith went the same way to Henderson and Ben Scott edged Andrew McDonald to wicketkeeper Tom New.

But a fluctuating day swung back in Worcestershire's favour as Alexei Kervezee and Andrew led another recovery with a stand of 51.

It took a magnificent one-handed slip catch by Will Jefferson to remove Kervezee off the bowling of McDonald, but Andrew reached his half-century with a six off Hoggard before carving a catch to point.

Last man Jack Shantry fell lbw to Wayne White at 308.

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford and Worcester:
"I'm quite happy. If you watch closely the wicket played up a bit and we had a bit of luck in our batting.

"Daryl and Moeen did well to get us to lunch with two wickets down, but the grass on the wickets is hiding the cracks and I think it will get more difficult as the match goes on.

"If we hit the wicket nice and hard off a good length and the ball does goes along the ground we have a chance of lbw or bowled."

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