Rain cuts short Leicestershire chase

Leicestershire's LV County Championship Division Two game against Gloucestershire at Grace Road was abandoned as a draw after the weather intervened late on day four.

Rain swept in during the tea interval with the hosts 110 for four chasing a victory target of 311.

With both sides keen to engineer a positive result, Gloucestershire declared on 198 for four in their second innings, giving Leicestershire a minimum of 80 overs to chase down the target.

But with Jon Lewis taking two wickets for nine runs in 13 overs, Leicestershire slumped to 36 for four before Josh Cobb and Paul Nixon led a revival.

The pair shared an unbroken stand of 74 to steer them through to tea, at which point they needed a further 200 off 32 overs to win.

Jon Lewis undermined Leicestershire's run-chase with two early wickets

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It proved to be the last action of the weather-hit match, however, as heavy rain began to fall and the game was abandoned an hour later.

The intervention of the weather leaves Gloucestershire still seeking their first victory in the competition this season.

The morning session had seen Leicestershire feed the Gloucestershire batsmen some declaration bowling which enabled the visitors to pile up 156 runs in just 13.5 overs.

Hamish Marshall took advantage, making 66 off 40 balls, while Chris Taylor weighed in with 76 off 43 balls.

When the declaration came Leicestershire made the worst possible start to their run-chase, losing two wickets in the first four overs.

Lewis had Matt Boyce caught low down at first slip and then Steve Kirby grabbed the vital wicket of HD Ackerman, trapping him leg before with a delivery which kept low.

By lunch Leicestershire had struggled to 23 for two off 17 overs and their situation became even worse in the early overs of the afternoon session.

Greg Smith was bowled by a good delivery from David Brown and Jacques du Toit was adjudged lbw to the impressive Lewis.

The Gloucestershire skipper had 11 maidens in his 13 overs and there were only three scoring strokes made against him - two boundaries and a single.

But Cobb and Nixon put the brakes on Gloucestershire's progress with a defiant fifth-wicket partnership before rain had the final say, leaving both sides with seven points each.