Northamptonshire 2XI and Leicestershire 2XI played out a hard-fought second day at Kibworth CC with the match evenly poised heading into the penultimate day.
After a rain-affected first day, Leicestershire 2XI started Day 2 123/6 with Northamptonshire having the better of the Day 1’s play.
Leicestershire started off the brighter of the two however, with Minhas and Wood taking the attack to the Northamptonshire bowlers. The pair frustrated the visitors and put on a century stand for the seventh wicket.
Tommy Sturgess was the one to make the breakthrough, trapping Minhas in front on 90. Sturgess struck again six overs later when he got Josh Hull lbw for 6.
At lunch Leicestershire were 266/8 thanks to a Wood half century but swiftly after lunch Rob Keogh and Justin Broad picked up the final two wickets to leave the batting side 275 all out.
On a bright afternoon in Leicestershire the 2XI made a very positive start with George Hargrave and Arush Buchake putting on an opening stand of 60 before Buchake lbw from the leg spinner de Silva.
Justin Broad was in at three and continued the 2XI’s good start as they found themselves 69/1 at Tea.
Broad and Hargrave pushed on after tea, with the latter bringing up his half century in 96 balls and with fours 4s. The pair put on 67 before Broad was softly dismissed on 44 trying to hit one away to the leg side.
Hargrave fell two overs later and suddenly Leicestershire found themselves in a better position and with the momentum. Gus Miller and Rob Keogh were the two new batters at the crease but their partnership only lasted 25 runs as Keogh was swiftly stumped for 12 by Swindells.
Seven overs later Miller was dismissed in unusual circumstances with the ball clipping the top of his bat as he looked to hit one leg side but the ball went the other direction the 2XI captain was caught at slip.
The following over Charlie Oldershaw was dismissed first ball and the 2XI were 182/6. Rishabh Upadhyay and Michael Finan saw through the final six overs and the 2XI finished the day 208/6, trailing Leicestershire’s first innings score by 67 runs.