Marsh the hero as Leicestershire win nail-biter

Two sensational catches from Australian Daniel Marsh won a nail-biting CricInfo Championship game for Leicestershire at Grace Road.

In a thrilling finish which could have gone either way, they beat Lancashire by six runs with a day to spare. The win, their first of the season, earned them 16 points and lifted them off the bottom of the First Division table.

In a low-scoring match there was no doubt that Leicestershire's hero was Marsh, son of the former Australian wicket-keeper Rodney.

He followed up his first innings knock of 71 with an unbeaten half-century in the second innings as Leicestershire were dismissed for 169, leaving Lancashire a victory target of 211.

Then he claimed two valuable wickets at vital times with his left-arm spin before taking the two stunning catches at the end when the visitors again looked to be edging to victory.

First he dived forward to hold a mistimed pull from Mike Smethurst inches above the ground at mid-wicket, and then held on to a breathtaking catch at slip when Glen Chapple edged a swinging delivery from Jon Dakin.

It had been a brave effort from Chapple who scored 44 off 85 balls with four boundaries after arriving at the crease with Lancashire at 139 for six.

At one stage they seemed to be cruising it. They were 113 for two in the 31st over with John Crawley having hit a half-century during a partnership of 90 with Ryan Driver.

Then he edged a ball from Devon Malcolm to wicket-keeper Neil Burns, and in Malcolm's next over Neil Fairbrother chopped a short-pitched delivery into his stumps.

When Marsh had Driver caught off bat and pad in the last over before tea, Lancashire had lost three wickets for eight runs in four overs. Chapple's knock put them back in the hunt - but Marsh's catching proved decisive.