Leicestershire up against it after collapse

Northamptonshire 261 (Duckett 112, Holden 92, Klein 6-80) and 60 for 3 lead Leicestershire 157 (Gleeson 3-33, Sanderson 3-36, Azharullah 3-52) by 164 runs
Scorecard

Northamptonshire took hold of the pink-ball Specsavers County Championship match on the second day against Leicestershire, reaching 60 for 3 in their second-innings and a lead of 164 before rain curtailed play.

With a first-innings advantage of 104, Northants were reduced to 12 for 2 before Alex Wakely's unbeaten 34 - featuring a top-edged pull over the wicketkeeper - steered them to the close in steady shape. But setting a target above 300 will still be a challenge if cloudy floodlit conditions remain on day three.

Northants were set for a much bigger first-innings lead when Leicestershire, having resumed day two 65 for 4, slumped to 86 for 8 before lunch but a stand of 60 for the ninth wicket between Lewis Hill and Matt Pillans ensured the follow-on would not be of concern.

Conditions favoured the bowlers all day with the floodlights on under gloomy skies and Leicestershire responded with two early wickets. Rob Newton was lbw to Klein for the second time in the game and Ben Duckett, after a first-inning century, was taken at second slip off Clint McKay for a second-ball duck.

Max Holden's 37-ball stay featured countless plays-and-misses, driving McKay in particular to distraction. He eventually edged Pillans to first slip to give Leicestershire a third wicket and further hope. Their chances of getting deeper into the Northants middle order were denied by rain.

It was the Northants' bowlers who enjoyed the conditions in the opening session of the day - during the first 25 minutes, 33 balls were bowled, Northamptonshire didn't concede a single run and took three wickets.

The first of those was McKay, who was dropped to the final ball of day one but caught off the first ball he saw of day two - driving loosely at Richard Gleeson and edging to first slip Chesney Hughes, the same man who dropped McKay the previous evening.

Gleeson struck again when Ned Eckersley tamely chipped a catch to point. Between those dismissals, Sanderson nipped a ball back into Colin Ackerman, forcing an inside edge into the off stump.

When Azharullah trapped Neil Dexter lbw for 11 - the decision appeared to be a marginal call - Leicestershire were facing the prospect of being asked to follow-on. But Hill rode his luck and with Pillans, who found five boundaries from No. 10, avoided being asked to bat again and kept a finger-hold on the game for the visitors.

The second session was delayed by 55 minutes by the lightest of drizzle but when play did resume, Northants took only six overs to remove the Leicestershire tail. Sanderson, who probed away without full reward before lunch - nine overs for just eight runs and one wicket - changed ends to send a ball from wider on the crease through bat and bat and into the bails of Pillans. He finished with 3 for 36 from 20 overs.

Azharullah cleaned up No. 11 Dieter Klein and Leicestershire's 157 all out still gave Northants a very good first-innings lead.