Leicestershire dig in for draw on soggy final day
Nottinghamshire's winless run extends to 26 first-class matches
ECB Reporters Network
25-Aug-2020
Peter Trego took the only wicket on the final day • PA Images via Getty Images
Leicestershire 222 and 237 for 4 (Ackermann 65, Swindells 52*) drew with Nottinghamshire 343 for 8 declared (Slater 86, Hameed 87, Mike 3-48)
Leicestershire's batsmen dug in to force a draw after only 22.2 overs were possible on the final day of the Bob Willis Trophy match against Nottinghamshire at Grace Road.
Heavy rain prevented play before 2.15pm, but when Leicestershire quickly lost the wicket of captain Colin Ackermann, leg before wicket for 65 after being hit on the back pad stretching forward to defend a Peter Trego inswinger, the Foxes' lead was only 29, with six second-innings wickets in hand.
The pitch was still flat, however, and the ferociously strong winds made bowling from the Pavilion End close to impossible, with Trego forced to reduce his run-up to four or five paces.
Harry Swindells, Leicestershire's 21-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman, took full advantage, hitting eight fours in scoring a maiden first-class half-century off 66 balls, and with George Rhodes continuing to play as obdurately as he had the previous evening - he faced 107 deliveries for his unbeaten 22 - the home team extended their lead into three figures before another rain shower shortly after tea caused umpires Nick Cook and Hassan Adnan to decide enough was enough.
The result means Nottinghamshire have now gone 26 first-class matches without a win. Nine of those matches have been drawn and 17 lost.
