Magoffin makes impression

Steve Magoffin celebrates his third wicket at New Road

Steve Magoffin grabbed three wickets to boost Worcestershire’s fortunes on another weather-hit day against Leicestershire in the LV County Championship Division Two match.

The 28-year-old Australian, making his debut at New Road, claimed 3-42 to help reduce the visitors to 170 for seven off 44.4 overs in reply to Worcestershire’s 300 for eight declared.

His fellow paceman Kabir Ali also took two wickets before Leicestershire finally moved past the 151 follow-on target.

The hosts, who faced only 8.1 overs on day two because of rain, began the day on 275 for seven and pulled the plug on their innings as soon as they collected a third bonus point after 113.2 overs.

Gareth Andrew, unbeaten overnight with 25 on his New Road debut, fell for 27 after putting on 80 in 31 overs with Steve Davies.

Andrew dangled his bat out to a Ryan Cummins delivery and was caught behind by Paul Nixon just five runs short of his championship-best 32 for his former county Somerset against Lancashire at Taunton in 2005.

Davies was undefeated on 78 which contained seven fours off 140 balls with the declaration denying him the chance of registering the fifth championship century of his career.

The young wicketkeeper’s last three-figure knock was in August 2006 when he hit 140 off the Leicestershire attack at Grace Road.

Leicestershire made a shaky start to their reply with the country’s youngest opening pair of Tom New and Matt Boyce both departing cheaply.

Steve Davies was denied a fifth championship hundred

Twenty-two-year-old Boyce was bowled by Magoffin for six while attempting to play towards mid-wicket and then New, aged 23, produced a rash hook against Andrew and was easily caught by Davies for nine.

At lunch, Leicestershire were 49 for two off 18 overs with Magoffin having impressive figures of 7-5-4-1.

He added a second scalp shortly after the interval when HD Ackerman played across the line and was trapped lbw after putting on 70 in 16 overs with Jacques du Toit.

Ackerman’s valuable 46 included eight fours and took 62 balls.

Seamer Chris Whelan, making his Worcestershire debut following a close-season move from Middlesex, picked up his first wicket for his new county when he tempted du Toit into producing a top-edge pull which ended up safely in Davies’ gloves.

His dismissal was immediately followed by the players heading to the pavilion due to rain with the Leicestershire tally on 106 for four off 29.3 overs.

Following an early tea Nixon managed only a single before he was snapped up at second slip by Daryl Mitchell off Magoffin, who played one second XI game for Leicestershire two years ago.

His departure heralded the arrival of talented teenager James Taylor who was soon off the mark on his eagerly-awaited debut.

The former academy and second XI player was soon off the mark, but lost his partner Jim Allenby shortly after a break for bad light when he was yorked by Kabir.

Another Kabir yorker then accounted for Taylor who was trapped lbw before Claude Henderson and Cummins guided their side past the follow-on target.