LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Grace Road:
Worcestershire 308 and 277-9 dec beat Leicestershire 181 and 231 by 173 runs
Worcestershire 22 pts Leicestershire 3 pts
Match scorecard

Richardson celebrated his 35th birthday on Thursday, 6 May

Alan Richardson finished with 5-44 as Worcestershire completed a 173-run win over Leicestershire at Grace Road.

Resuming on 107-1, chasing 405, the hosts soon lost overnight pair Will Jefferson (60) and Paul Nixon (45).

Jacques du Toit (52) and Tom New (42) offered some resistance in adding 88 for the sixth wicket.

But, with Wayne White unable to bat due to a broken finger, Leicestershire were bowled out for 231, Jack Shantry ending it by bowling skipper Matthew Hoggard.

It was Worcestershire's second County Championship win of the season, but a second successive defeat for Leicestershire, who had won their opening two games.

Worcestershire's hopes of pushing for victory were given an immediate boost when Richardson, who turned 35 on Thursday, enticed Jefferson to edge behind to wicketkeeper Ben Scott without adding to his overnight score.

That breakthrough triggered a collapse as the home side lost four wickets for 16 runs in seven overs.

Richard Jones trapped Nixon leg before and had Andrew McDonald caught at slip before Richardson removed James Taylor lbw.

Du Toit, whose half-century came off 78 balls, and New steadied the ship.

But when Du Toit drove to cover it did not take long for Worcestershire to polish off the tail, Richardson finishing with his second five-wicket haul in successive Championship games, to take his tally to 18 in four games.

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