Derbyshire rue missed opportunities as Marcus Harris digs in

Leicestershire 168 for 2 (Harris 77*) vs Derbyshire

Australian opener Marcus Harris underpinned Leicestershire on a day when Derbyshire fluffed their lines in the Vitality County Championship match at Derby.

Harris kept his concentration through lengthy rain delays to score an unbeaten 77 from 147 balls but was dropped twice after Derbyshire elected to bowl first on a chilly opening day at the County Ground. Derbyshire also put down Rishi Patel who made 36 before he was bowled by New Zealand fast bowler Blair Tickner, who was the pick of the attack.

Although 50 overs were lost, Leicestershire made good progress and closed on 168 for 2 with skipper Lewis Hill not out 34.

Derbyshire’s previous home game against Gloucestershire had been a complete washout with no play possible on any of the four days and there was more frustration despite the match starting in bright sunshine.

That proved to be deceptive as steely grey clouds rolled in with only 18 overs bowled in the morning session after Derbyshire put Leicestershire in on a green-tinged pitch.

Derbyshire brought in fast bowler Pat Brown for only the ninth Championship game of his career with Ben Green making his Leicestershire debut following his loan move from Somerset.

Sam Conners and Tickner shared the new ball and should have had both openers in the first half-hour of the day. Harris had made only 1 when he edged Tickner to second slip in the fourth over but Wayne Madsen put down a shoulder high chance.

It was the sort of catch Madsen usually takes and there was more frustration for the home side when Patel was given a life on nine two overs later. Conners found the right-hander’s outside edge only to see Aneurin Donald spill the ball diving to his right at third slip.

After electing to bowl, those chances had to be taken and Patel and Harris took advantage to guide Leicestershire past 50 before rain halted play shortly after midday.

When play resumed at 2.05pm, there was more there for the bowlers but Derbyshire put down a third chance three overs into the afternoon session. Harris, who early on did not look entirely convincing, was on 26 when he edged Anuj Dal low to Madsen, who again failed to cling on.

But the stand was broken in the next over when Tickner, who had posed questions for the batters with his disciplined line, found enough away movement to beat Patel’s forward defensive push and knock out off stump.

Harris was six short of his fifty when the rain returned and kept the players off the field until 5.30pm. When the game restarted, Derbyshire quickly claimed a second wicket. Louis Kimber played at a good length ball from Conners without any foot movement and edged to third slip where Donald this time made no mistake.

But the rest of a truncated day belonged to Harris and Hill who scored freely in the closing overs to take Leicestershire in two down.

County Championship Division Two