Controversy as Clarke ton gets Worcestershire home

Worcestershire 349 (Leach 90, Fell 61, Mitchell 52, McKay 4-59) and 369 for 7 ( Clarke 123, Leach 64*, Shreck 4-104) beat Leicestershire 407 (Dexter 109, Eckersley 92*, Barnard 4-62, D'Oliveira 4-80) and 307-3 dec (Cosgrove 146, Horton 117*)
Scorecard

Joe Clarke scored his third Specsavers County Championship hundred of the season after benefiting from an umpires reprieve as Worcestershire gained a three wicket success over Leicestershire at New Road.

The England Lions player went to three figures off 146 balls with 15 fours as Worcestershire chased down a 366 target in 75 overs after being 73 for 4 and triumphed with 10 balls to spare.

The Foxes thought they dismissed the 20-year-old when he was given out lbw by Jeremy Lloyds on 31 with the total on 147 in pursuit of a 366 target in 75 overs.

Clarke walked off, although he appeared unhappy at his dismissal, but after Jeremy Lloyds and square leg umpire Graham Lloyd conferred the England Lions player was recalled to the middle.

Leicestershire skipper Mark Cosgrove was clearly unhappy and remonstrated with the umpires. But Clarke continued his innings and later went to his century with a cover drive for four off Neil Dexter.

Worcestershire's director of cricket Steve Rhodes said: "In many ways we got out of jail. Leicestershire were ahead of us for a period of time but what I was really impressed with was the spirit we showed when it really mattered.

"Joe Clarke's innings was a match winning innings. I have seen something like that before. George Sharp once gave Daryl Mitchell out and realised he'd made a mistake and reversed the decision and there have been other occasions it has been done.

"I think you have to take that sort of thing on the chin. I know it is going to upset Leicestershire but if the umpire thinks he has made the wrong decision then he has a right to change his decision and you just get on with it."

Cosgrove did not protest too loudly after the match. "We played pretty well all game. We knew there wasn't much in the game so with the declaration we had to leave a little bit of a carrot there and they batted really well. The umpire made his decision, he changed his mind and brought him back. It is just one of those things. You don't see it very often."

Clarke shared in a fifth wicket stand of 142 in 34 overs with Ross Whiteley who survived three chances to equal his best score of the season - 71. Then Joe Leach accompanied Clarke in a sixth wicket partnership of 108 in 17 overs.

Clarke was eventually run out for a chanceless 123 from 172 balls with 17 fours by Leicestershire keeper Ned Eckersley's direct hit at the non-striker's end after Leach had called his partner through for a quick single.

But Leach's second major contribution with the bat of the game - 64 not out from 51 balls - saw Worcestershire over the finishing line. It was their second Championship success of the campaign and rekindled their promotion challenge.

Daryl Mitchell and Brett D'Oliveira safely negotiated eight overs before lunch when Worcestershire began their reply in a mattch rekindled by Leicestershiree's declaration but then four wickets went down in the same period immediately after the interval.

Clint McKay removed the openers, having Mitchell (32) caught behind and D'Oliveira (16) at gulley after he fended off a lifting delivery.

Tom Fell (10) then nicked a Charlie Shreck through to the keeper and the same bowler held onto a return catch from Tom Kohler-Cadmore (5) to leave Worcestershire on 73-4 with 59 overs still remaining.

Cosgrove and Paul Horton had earlier scored centuries and rewrote the record books as Leicestershire added 135 in 29 overs this morning before the declaration.

The pair created a new third wicket record for Leicestershire in matches against Worcestershire by adding 264 in 57.3 overs before Cosgrove declared at 307-3 after his dismissal for 148.

It surpassed the previous best stand of 194 by Chris Balderstone and Brian Davison at Grace Road in 1975. Horton was the first to three figures off 198 balls with 11 fours after Leicestershire resumed on 172-2 and the former Lancashire player also completed 10,000 first class runs in his career.

Cosgrove, who survived a chance on 66 off Joe Leach, went to his hundred off 165 deliveries with 16 boundaries and the Australian and ex Glamorgan batsman chalked up 12,000 first class runs.

He cut loose after reaching three figures, clubbing 6-4-4 and 4-6-4 off successive balls in back to back overs from D'Oliveira and Jack Shantry.

Cosgrove was eventually bowled by Jack Shantry and immediately declared to leave Horton unbeaten on 117.