Leicestershire take charge

Boeta Dippenaar shapes to drive during his innings of 80

South Africans Boeta Dippenaar and HD Ackerman steered Leicestershire into a commanding position on the first day of the LV County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Grace Road.

Both scored half-centuries as they shared a third-wicket partnership of 109 that provided the foundation for a close-of-play total of 288 for four.

Dippenaar and Ackerman were two of 10 South African players taking part in the match - five on each side.

But Leicestershire chief executive David Smith defended his club's policy, saying: “We have to accept that it is not popular with everyone but in the long term we have a development programme in place.

“It is important, however, that we also become competitive.”

Leicestershire are unbeaten in the championship this season and top their group in the Friends Provident Trophy.

Ackerman, in his fourth season at the club, has scored four centuries this season and looked set for another before falling for 62.

Dippenaar, who has been signed as Leicestershire's overseas player, was also out when he was well on the way to his first century for the club.

Both fell to compatriots Nicky Boje and Lance Klusener. Left-arm spinner Boje had Ackerman caught at slip by Andrew Hall while Klusener bowled the impressive Dippenaar for 80 off an inside edge.

HD Ackerman edges Nicky Boje to Andrew Hall

With Paul Nixon absent for the start of the game, having been at the birth of his daughter in the early hours, stand-in captain James Allenby won the toss for Leicestershire and decided to bat on a green-looking pitch.

There was plenty of assistance in it for the Northants seamers early on and David Lucas made the breakthrough in the sixth over, clipping the top of Tom New's off stump with an excellent delivery.

Matt Boyce and Ackerman shared a solid stand of 58 before the young left-handed opener played a loose drive at Hall and was splendidly caught at slip by Stephen Peters. Boyce's innings of 37 contained seven fours.

His departure brought Ackerman and Dippenaar together and, after a slow start, they began to pierce the field with a succession of glorious cover and straight drives.

Ackerman reached his fifty off 106 balls with eight fours and added two more boundaries before being undone by extra bounce from Boje.

Dippenaar and Allenby also put on 50, with the former largely untroubled until a loose drive at Klusener brought about his downfall. He had struck 14 boundaries in his 149-ball innings.

Allenby became the third player to pass 50, reaching his half-century off 108 balls with nine fours, and was still there at the close on 63.

Jacques du Toit was 20 not out, having shared an unbroken stand of 54.