Impressive all-round show puts Leicestershire on victory course

Glamorgan 348 and 172 for 8 (Donald 57, Raine 3-48) lead Leicestershire 427 (O'Brien 93, Horton 67, McKay 65, White 58)
Scorecard

Leicestershire are poised for victory on the final day against Glamorgan and, if this all-round performance is an indication of how much they have improved, they are unlikely to finish bottom this season - a position they have occupied for the last three years.

Glamorgan were 172 for 8 in their second innings at the close, including a collapse of 4 for 3, leaving them a slender lead of 93 on a pitch where there is a little uneven bounce, but that should not create any problems for the batsmen.

Clint McKay was signed by Leicestershire last year and he rewarded his new employers by taking 58 wickets in first-class cricket. He recently announced his retirement from Australian cricket but will continue on the county scene and his impact has already been felt.

He took 6 for 73 in the first innings, captured another two when Glamorgan batted again, and was instrumental in Leicestershire gaining a lead of 79 on first innings. When he came to the crease, his team were 24 runs behind, but when he was out, he had added a further 97 runs with Ben Raine and Jigar Naik, as Leicestershire gained four batting points and an useful lead.

The morning session was important for both teams, with Glamorgan hoping to take early wickets and the visitors eager to establish a sizeable lead. Michael Hogan dismissed Wayne White for 58, but McKay began by striking five boundaries in reaching 20 before settling down to play a responsible innings.

There was plenty of playing and missing at the five Glamorgan seamers, but the Leicestershire tailenders frustrated the bowlers by playing every ball on its merit. When McKay eventually struck Graham Wagg's slower ball to cover, he had played a valuable innings which lasted 89 balls with 12 boundaries.

McKay then inflicted more damage when Glamorgan batted, taking two wickets with the third and fifth balls of his fourth over as Glamorgan slipped to 16 for 2. James Kettleborough touched a lifting delivery to the wicketkeeper, then Will Bragg dragged one on to his stumps attempting to cut a short ball.

When Chris Cooke was out for 8, Glamorgan were still 50 runs behind, but Jacques Rudolph and Aneurin Donald then settled down to add 60 for the fourth wicket until Rudolph became Niall O'Brien's third catch behind the wicket.

Donald scored 57 with seven fours, but it was his mix-up with David Lloyd which resulted in Lloyd being run out and the start of a collapse where Glamorgan lost four quick wickets, with Raine taking two in an over, before Wagg and Hogan nursed them to the close.