Leics v Kent: Coles grabs six wickets as Foxes fall for 159
Sunday 5th July 2015
Grace Road: day one, close of play: Leicestershire 159 Kent 44-2
A pitch almost as green as the outfield made Sam Northeast’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss a simple one, and the Kent captain can only have been satisfied after his side bowled Leicestershire out for just 159 at Grace Road.
It could, however, have been even less had the visitors held all their chances, particularly during a morning session throughout which the ball both seamed and swung, but which ended with the Foxes on 109-4.
Three of those wickets fell to Matt Coles, and first to be dismissed was Matt Boyce, who pushed hard at a rising delivery and was well held by Adam Ball at second slip, the ball flying quickly and at chest height.
However Angus Robson and Ned Eckersley then added 58 for the second wicket, taking advantage of a series of wide or over-pitched deliveries, before Robson drove loosely at Coles and thin-edged a catch to wicket-keeper Sam Billings.
Only one more run had been added when Greg Smith, returning to his former county on a month's loan from Nottinghamshire, pushed forward at his first delivery and edged a comfortable catch off Calum Haggett to Coles at second slip.
Darren Stevens dropped Eckersley off Haggett, but Coles, switching ends, bowled Eckersley with a well pitched-up delivery for 41 and the Foxes had lost three wickets for just seven runs.
They were seen through to lunch by Andrea Agathangelou and Aadil Ali, the latter a 20-year-old academy graduate making his first-class debut for the county, but Kent bowled with a lot more accuracy after the break.
The visitors picked up the last six Foxes' wickets for just 50 runs. Coles took three of them, ending with 6-55, not quite a career-best, but meaning he now has 48 wickets for the season.
Agathangelou lead the procession, edging an attempted cut at Stevens to Adam Ball at first slip.
Ali departed for 13, edging a Stevens out-swinger to Coles at second slip, but Lewis Hill and Clint McKay will be disappointed with the attacking shots which resulted in their giving offside catches to Sam Northeast and Joe Denly respectively.
Ben Raine was bowled by Coles, and Ollie Freckingham top-edged an attempted hook off Haggett to leave Leicestershire all out for 159. To add to their woes, a heavy shower forced the umpires to call an early tea before their bowlers could look to put the Kent batsmen to an immediate test in reply.
When play did re-start, only 14 overs were possible before the rain returned to end play, during which Kent lost the wickets of Joe Denly, caught at bad and pad off Raine, and Daniel Bell-Drummond, leg before on the back foot to a delivery from McKay that kept low.