Palladino cannot avert stalemate

Five wickets for Essex seamer Tony Palladino and an enforced follow-on could not prevent a draw at Leicester

Essex forced Leicestershire to follow on but had to be content with a draw in their rain-hit LV= County Championship match at Grace Road.

The home side were dismissed for 238 and sent in to bat again 189 runs behind. But with only 42 overs left in the game Essex ran out of time and the teams shook hands on a draw with Leicestershire at 123 for three in their second innings.

It was a frustrating match for Essex, who were denied the opportunity to push for their third championship win of the season because of the weather.

In all, a total of 162 overs were lost to rain with the first day having been completely washed out. Essex emerged with 12 points from the match and Leicestershire with seven.

Leicestershire began the final day on 61 for three, still needing 217 runs to avoid the follow-on.

But they suffered an early blow when HD Ackerman had his off-stump uprooted as he tried to work a delivery from Chris Wright through the leg-side.

Much rested then on the shoulders of Jim Allenby and teenager James Taylor and they responded to the challenge with some positive strokeplay as they shared a partnership of 54 for the fifth wicket.

Allenby reached his half century off eight balls with nine boundaries and then was gifted four extra runs with overthrows after running a single.

Another rain shower lopped seven overs off the match before lunch and the interruption accounted for Allenby, who was out to the third ball after the rain break.

The Australian-born all-rounder edged a delivery from Masters into the hands of wicketkeeper James Foster having made 71 off 97 balls.

Tom New and George Walker then fell to successive deliveries from Tony Palladino. New Zealand Test player Iain O'Brien was out in controversial circumstances when he appeared to edge a catch to Foster off the bowling of Wright.

O'Brien disputed the decision, clearly believing the ball had clipped the off-stump rather than his bat.

Taylor continued to play some lovely attacking shots, including a hooked six off Graham Napier before being last man out for 88 when he was caught at deep point.

The stand between Taylor and last man Harry Gurney was Leicestershire's best of the innings, adding 65 runs in 12 overs.

Batting again Leicestershire lost their first three wickets for 62 runs but an unbeaten 45 from Matt Boyce and 34 not out by Allenby ensured the game ended in a draw with 16 overs to go.