Napier ensures Essex draw

Graham Napier blasted 72 not out for Essex on Saturday

An unbeaten 72 from Graham Napier ensured Essex came away from their rain-affected LV County Championship clash against Leicestershire with a draw.

The 27-year-old all-rounder, playing his first championship game of the season following an elbow injury, shared a last wicket stand of 61 with Andrew McGarry to deny the home side the chance of victory at Grace Road.

When Essex went in for lunch at 140 for nine they still needed another 46 runs to avoid the follow-on with 67 overs remaining.

At that stage Leicestershire had a chance of claiming their first Championship win of the season.

But Napier rapidly ended any thoughts of that with a display of powerful hitting which brought him seven sixes and five fours in an 80-ball innings that took Essex to 201 before the final wicket fell.

And when a further 20 overs were then lost because of a heavy rain shower the remainder of the day became purely academic.

Eventually, with Leicestershire at 56 without loss off 17.1 overs, the teams shook hands on the draw from which the home side took 10 points and Essex eight.

Ronnie Irani battled to 40 for Essex against Leicestershire

That was the result which had looked inevitable once the first two days had been washed out by rain.

But Leicestershire began the final day still in with a faint chance of clinching victory if they could manage the unlikely task of claiming 17 wickets in the day.

They made a good fist of it in the morning session by picking up another six wickets as Essex continued to struggle having started the day at 39 for three.

A mixture of accurate bowling, sharp catching and some poor shot selection by the batsmen saw Essex stumble to 140 for nine in the 29 overs before lunch.

The only man to offer much resistance was the captain Ronnie Irani who made 40 before edging a lifting delivery from Charl Langeveldt to wicket-keeper Paul Nixon.

Irani's departure led to another clutch of wickets falling in the next few overs, and when Andre Nel was lbw to James Allenby to the last ball before lunch, Essex were in real danger of having to follow on.

But Napier had other ideas and a superb exhibition of big hitting took him to 50 off 62 balls - with 46 of the runs in boundaries - while McGarry gave him solid support at the other end.

Leg-spinner Mansoor Amjad was hit for four sixes by Napier as Essex went past the 186 needed to avoid the follow-on before McGarry was finally bowled by Langeveldt giving the South African seamer figures of 4-41.