Leicestershire eased to victory by 10 wickets against Glamorgan in an emphatic three-day win. That left the team just 51 runs to work with in chasing down their opponent’s target. They did it all because of a record-breaking bombing performance, anchored by … The game played out on Grace Road. Leicestershire’s captain, Peter Handscomb, was happy with the toss and the look of the wicket on playing conditions.
Even from the first over of the final day, Leicestershire’s players signalled their purpose. The captain noted, “That’s a fantastic way to start the season. The most pleasing thing was that we were able to execute our plans pretty well for the three days.” Handscomb’s leadership was critical. His vision and planning paved the way. Crucially, he and his team took advantage of the conditions that yielded additional help on day one.
As the innings wore on Glamorgan lost their heads and only a stubborn last wicket stand between Rossouw 68* and Bethell 36* prevented a rout. Four balls later Zain Ul Hassan succumbed to a masterful yorker, leaving him lbw and sealing an important early wicket for Leicestershire. Sam Northeast had an especially bitter blow when he whipped his first ball to be bowled off the inside-edge. This twist of fate placed Glamorgan in a very tough situation.
Eddie Byrom had a go at rescuing a faltering innings. Sadly, he could only pop a full ball to gully after attempts to short arm the pull. This sudden implosion placed a huge burden on Glamorgan as they attempted to defend their flimsy first innings total.
Provided only by Kiran Carlson, his fluent innings – 10 fours and a six – provided the only resistance. His excellent performance was undone somewhat in the last over. His wicket was taken at fine leg by substitute fielder Liam Trevaskis off the bowling of Leicestershire’s Chris Wright. Carlson’s dismissal was an even bigger turning point in the match as it shot Glamorgan’s already fragile batting order to pieces.
In the process, Andy Gorvin showed great determination at the crease as he made a valiant half-century. His fighting effort gave the home side some encouragement but he too succumbed to a potent opponent bowling attack as Glamorgan lost their way. Though Gorvin was a remarkable additional asset, the squad never bounced back from the initial tone-deaf rollouts.
In contrast to the lack of heart shown by his players, Richard Dawson, Glamorgan’s coach, accepted that his side were well below par. He stated, “We played well in parts, but we didn’t play consistently well enough over the three days. Leicestershire put us under pressure with bat and ball.”
Leicestershire started their chase positively as Sol Budinger got off to a flyer before Rehan Ahmed joined in on the assault. The duo went big from the beginning, laying a strong base for their innings. The team’s aggressive approach paid off as they reached their target in a hurry without ever losing a wicket.
Defending a low total, Glamorgan’s bowlers found it difficult to rein in a powerful Leicestershire batting lineup. In a freakish twist of fate, Kellaway absolutely crazily bowled two very high full-tosses within only four balls. This bizarre display only served to compound Glamorgan’s growing woes.
As the final ball was bowled, Leicestershire rejoiced in an emphatic victory which underlined their readiness for the challenge of the season to come. With this kind of performance, they’ve given themselves a great setup for their next matches.
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