Stalemate at New Road

Garnett Kruger saw two chances go down in the gully

Leicestershire comfortably saw out the final session at New Road to leave Worcestershire waiting for their first LV County Championship Division Two victory of the season.

After being denied by rain when needing three wickets to beat Warwickshire at Edgbaston, they took a first-innings lead of 107 in their opening home fixture but did not have time to develop this into a match-winning situation.

Vikram Solanki’s teatime declaration at 174 for four gave Leicestershire only 37 overs to reach a token target of 282 and unsurprisingly they settled for the draw on 62 for one.

Gareth Andrew removed Tom New for 16 but opening partner Matt Boyce quietly helped himself to an unbeaten 35.

Both teams will be happy with their form so far.

Despite being without Simon Jones and Graeme Hick in this match, relegated Worcestershire showed they have the quality to return to Division One, while Leicestershire, after beating Middlesex last week, can expect to improve on last season’s second-bottom finish in Division Two.

With more than 120 overs lost to the weather in the first three days, it was up to Worcestershire to make the running.

Kabir Ali claimed four wickets

They needed only 31 minutes to snaffle the last three wickets in Leicestershire’s first innings.

Kabir Ali, although conceding close to five runs an over, claimed the best figures of 4-63 when Ryan Cummins (22) gave a leg-side catch behind the wicket and Nadeem Malik stepped in front of a full-length ball in the same over.

When last man Garnett Kruger was taken at backward short leg off Gareth Batty, the home side needed to be enterprising in their second innings, but Leicestershire were in no mood to concede cheap runs.

The scoring rate was a fraction above three an over and the seamers picked up two wickets before the total nudged beyond 50.

Cummins produced a good delivery to have Stephen Moore caught behind and Jacques du Toit held a running catch when Solanki (17) played a lofted drive to deep extra cover.

Leicestershire then put down several chances during a partnership of 60 by Daryl Mitchell (37) and Ben Smith (44).

New dropped both batsmen in the gully in the same over from Kruger but their luck ran out in a tidy spell by Claude Henderson.

The left-arm spinner bowled Mitchell and Smith got himself out, attempting to cut the South African, after he had hit seven boundaries.

Moeen Ali, with five fours in an unbeaten 42 from 53 balls, and Steven Davies (19 not out) then cruised to the declaration by putting on 58 in 15 overs.