Leicestershire on course for win over Notts

Chasing just 177 for victory over their East Midlands rivals, Leicestershire had reached 125-3 from 30 overs when bad light suspended play for the evening.

Openers Vince Wells and Jonathan Dakin had made a solid start, putting on 36 in eight overs for the first wicket. Left-arm seamer Greg Smith twice had appeals for lbw against Wells turned down but then had pinch-hitter Dakin caught by Richard Logan at square leg as he tried to pull the ball over the infield.

Shahid Afridi, on his county debut, began slowly but then reverted to his more usual aggressive style as he lofted AJ Harris for a huge six into the Radcliffe Road Stand.

Having taken 2-40 with his leg spinners the Pakistan international was putting himself in pole position for a man of the match award on his first appearance for the Foxes but on 23 he wafted carelessly at Smith and gave Chris Read a routine catch behind the wicket.

Darren Stevens failed to get off the mark before losing his off peg to Smith, whose ten-over spell of 3-36 had given Notts a glimmer of a chance.

Play was then interrupted once again for bad light but at 7.20pm the umpires considered the conditions were fit enough for a resumption.

Vince Wells and Ben Smith put on an untroubled 45 for the fourth wicket in ever-deteriorating light but at 7.55pm the umpires directed that a finish was not possible and that play would be carried over into the second day. Wells was unbeaten on 45 with Smith on 24.

Victory should be confirmed for Leicestershire on Thursday morning when they require a further 52 runs to win, from 20 overs, with seven wickets in hand.

Earlier Notts, put in to bat, had collapsed dramatically losing their last five wickets for just five runs, with 9.2 overs of the innings unused.

Usman Afzaal top-scored with 49 out of the total of 176, a huge reversal in fortune after Darren Bicknell and Greg Blewett had posted 57 for the first wicket in 11 overs.

The Leicestershire outfielding was particularly sharp with a contribution of four run-outs, although batting was undeniably difficult as a total of seven stoppages for rain seriously disjointed the innings.