Leicestershire rout Yorkshire for first top-flight win since 2003
Leicestershire Secure Historic Win Over Yorkshire
Leicestershire completed an emphatic victory inside three days as Yorkshire were bowled out for 229 at Uptonsteel Grace Road, Jonny Bairstow’s side sinking to a third defeat of the season by an innings and 39 runs.
Bairstow himself went for a three-ball duck as the Foxes, who went into this round rock bottom of Division One after four consecutive defeats, registered their first win of the campaign – their first at this level since 2003 after ending a 22-year exile as Division Two champions last year.
Key Performances
Alex Green, the 19-year-old pace bowler who picked up his maiden first-class wickets in Yorkshire’s first innings, added three more, with three each for New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel and for Scotland international seamer Josh Davey.
Dan Moriarty and Dom Bess held things up, the former cracking 11 boundaries in a career-best unbeaten 51 after Bess had hit seven fours in a defiant 40, the last two wickets adding 95 before Alex Green bowled No 11 Jack White for 21, leaving Leicestershire waiting to learn Hampshire’s fate to see if the 23 points had been enough to lift them off the bottom.
A Stunning Turnaround
Given that, bar one change, it was the same Leicestershire line-up, heavily depleted by injuries and absences, that was easily beaten by Essex on this ground a week ago, it was a result few would have predicted, not least Yorkshire, who began the season with title aspirations but may now be looking with concern at the narrowing gap between themselves and the bottom two.
Yorkshire resumed at 32 for two, still 236 behind after centuries by Rehan Ahmed and Nick Kelly had put Leicestershire in a commanding position on day two.
Yorkshire’s Collapse
They lost a third wicket inside three overs as wicketkeeper Ben Cox took a superb catch, diving to his right to remove Sam Whiteman via an inside edge, giving Davey a third wicket.
James Wharton and Matthew Revis added 31, but just as it seemed they might have found a way through a tough period, Alex Green entered the attack to take two key wickets in the space of four deliveries.
Generating good pace at the Bennett End, the England Under-19 international had Revis caught behind, driving, before bowling Bairstow through the gate, perhaps via a thin inside edge.
It was impressive stuff from the teenager, who stands at 6ft 6ins with broad shoulders to boot. Play was held up when he rapped Wharton on the right hand, the batter requiring lengthy treatment on the field before he could continue.
A Desperate Attempt
In the event, Wharton was the next to depart, stretching forward to defend against left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel but somehow leaving a gap through which he was bowled.
Some calculated and profitable risk-taking by George Hill and Bess forced Leicestershire skipper Ben Green to take his namesake out of the attack, after which the seventh-wicket pair dealt well enough with spin at both ends to make it to lunch at 121 for six.
Yet that changed with the first ball of the afternoon, Hill departing leg before to Patel, his front pad not far enough forward to be given the benefit of the doubt. New man Hassan Ali was not long following him in, the Pakistan quick sending one skywards off Ben Green to be caught at short midwicket.
Bess and Moriarty held up Leicestershire’s push for victory for more than three quarters of an hour, but after 70 balls at the crease, Bess slashed at one from Patel outside off stump and was well held by Rishi Patel at slip.
Yet Moriarty excelled himself in completing a maiden half-century off 84 balls, hammering Patel down the ground for his 11th boundary, the last wicket adding 67 before Alex Green finally castled White to finish the job.
