Leicestershire seal opening win

Leicestershire recovered from a top-order collapse to beat Northamptonshire by six wickets in their County Championship clash at Grace Road. Chasing a meagre 65, they lost three wickets for 10 runs in six overs before Joshua Cobb and Tom New saw them safely over the line an hour before lunch on the final day.

The home side needed only 51 more runs to win when they resumed on the fourth morning on 14 for 1. But Northamptonshire had them rocking as David Lucas and Jack Brooks made quick inroads with some fine seam bowling.

Will Jefferson was trapped leg before wicket by Lucas without adding to his overnight score of 10 and then Brooks picked up two wickets in two overs to have Leicestershire on 29 for 4.

He had James Taylor lbw offering no shot and Paul Nixon was also trapped in front by a delivery which kept low. But Cobb and New held their nerve although Cobb could have been run out by Brooks who missed hitting the stumps by a narrow margin from close range.

Cobb celebrated with a boundary off Lucas and two more fours by New eased the pressure and victory was finally achieved with an overthrow by Brooks. Leicestershire, who finished bottom of Division Two last season, claimed 22 points from the win with Northamptonshire collecting two.