Leeds UCCE draw with Leicestershire

11 June 2008

Friday 6, Saturday 7, Sunday 8 June - Leeds Bradford UCCE v Leicestershire CCC - match drawn

Leeds Bradford 275 (Robertshaw 98) & 153-4 dec. (Hawley 51*), Leicestershire CCC 382 (Smith 117, Hawley 4-77, Pringle 4-90)

 

Weetwood welcomed first class cricket opposition last week when Leicestershire County Cricket Club took on Leeds Bradford UCCE in a 3 day fixture - only the second such game to be held at Weetwood since the cricket square was re-laid three years ago. The county pros fielded a strong team against the Leeds Bradford team, including West Indian Test bowler Jermaine Lawson and former England one-day player Jeremy Snape, but the students performed admirably over the three days.

Leeds Bradford captain Rob Sutton elected to bat after winning the toss and his openers, Irishman Chris Dougherty and University of Leeds second year Sports Science and Physiology student Mark Robertshaw, gave the team a superb start, putting on 63 for the first wicket before Dougherty fell for 34. Robertshaw continued in accomplished style, despite wickets falling around him, and was dreadfully unlucky to fall just two runs short of a much-deserved century. With good support from James Hawley and Richard Browning, the UCCE were eventually dismissed for 275.

Leicestershire began the first innings at a good pace, despite losing Ed Foster to a run out following brilliant work by Tom Pringle on the midwicket boundary, and had reached 105 for 1 when Pringle and his spin partner James Hawley initiated a mini-collapse. Three wickets for 3rd year University of Leeds student Pringle and one for Hawley reduced the county team to 146 for 5, and confidence was rising that the students could gain a first innings lead. However, a superb century by Greg Smith, ably supported by Jeremy Snape and Jigar Naik, regained the upperhand for Leicestershire who were finally all out for 382, Hawley finishing with 4 for 77 from 28 overs and Pringle with 4 for 90 from 35 overs.

In their second innings Leicestershire pushed for victory, but resolute batting by Hawley (51*), Dougherty (26) Sam Reddish (18) James Moorhouse (18) and Oliver Howick (10*) ensured the students gained a highly-creditable draw, their third this season against first-class opposition following similar results against Kent & Yorkshire.