Leicestershire chase big Worcestershire target

LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Grace Road:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY THREE: Worcestershire 308 and 277-9 dec Leicestershire 181 and 107-1
Worcestershire 6pts Leicestershire 3pts
Match scorecard

Alexei Kervezee's 99 came off just 127 balls

Leicestershire face a tough final day after being set 405 to win by Worcestershire skipper Vikram Solanki.

But the home team made a good start, finishing the day on 107-1, losing only opener Matt Boyce caught behind.

Rising Dutch star Alexei Kervezee top-scored in the visitors' second innings, hitting 99 before falling lbw to teenage quick bowler Nathan Buck.

Australian all-rounder Andrew McDonald claimed his first five-wicket haul for the Foxes.

The day was illuminated by Kervezee's innings, which contained 13 sweetly-struck boundaries and showed why he is so highly regarded at New Road.

Having played for Holland as a teenager, Kervezee has a limited-overs century to his name when he scored an unbeaten 121 against Denmark in a World Cup qualifier in South Africa last year.

But he has now twice just missed out on his first first-class hundred, after making 98 for Holland against Canada three years ago.

Kervezee looked sure to reach the landmark when he struck a magnificent cover drive to the boundary to move on to 99. But in the same over from Buck, Kervezee was trapped lbw as he tried to work the ball away on the leg side.

The visitors did not have the best of starts to the day, with Daryl Mitchell lbw to Buck without addition to the overnight 62 for two. But after that the first hour produced 62 runs, with Kervezee hitting seven boundaries.

McDonald's wickets came in two excellent spells during the afternoon. First he trapped Moeen Ali lbw with a delivery that kept low, and then claimed another four wickets in a four-over burst before the declaration.

Former Leicestershire batsman Ben Smith survived the McDonald onslaught, reaching a half-century off 100 balls including three fours, to finish with an unbeaten 51.

Leicestershire made a solid start until Boyce fenced at a delivery from Alan Richardson and was caught behind with the score at 23.

But Will Jefferson looked in good touch, reaching his fifty off 86 balls, and was given solid support by veteran Paul Nixon, who ended the day on 36.