Peter Handscomb leads Leicestershire rearguard with unbeaten ton

Leicestershire 422 (Ackermann 146, Mulder 56, Raine 4-114) and 259 for 8 (Handscomb 136*, Raine 4-55) drew with Durham 517 for six dec and 343 for 4 dec (Lees 145, Bedingham 145)

The Australian wicketkeeper-batter completed on 136 not out, his second hundred for the county, earlier than dangerous mild in the end had the ultimate phrase with Leicestershire 259 for 8 with 10 overs left within the match.

Durham will really feel that they had been denied by the weather, however Leicestershire had battled via 20 overs at eight down, largely towards spinners Matt Parkinson and Liam Trevaskis with fielders crowded around the bat, Handscomb managing the strike so properly that ninth-wicket accomplice Ed Barnes confronted solely 43 balls in 71 minutes on the crease.

Earlier, Durham had declared at 343 for 4 after Alex Lees (145) and David Bedingham (145 not out) had shared a 243-run stand for the third wicket, giving themselves 89 overs to take 10 wickets and Leicestershire a theoretical 439 to win.

Ben Raine completed with 4 for 55, together with two wickets in his first 4 deliveries with Matthew Potts and Parkinson gathering two every. Their efforts had been in the end in useless however the 13-point haul they took from the match stretches their result in 36.

Durham’s necessities for the run chase had been met after 47 had been added in 28 balls to the in a single day whole earlier than the declaration got here.

Lees may add solely seven to his 138 not out earlier than he was caught within the deep slog-sweeping Callum Parkinson, who additionally bowled his fellow sluggish left-armer Liam Trevaskis for seven. Bedingham was the largest contributor on this entertaining burst of slogging, plundering 33 from 16 balls.

Some Durham supporters grumbled that batting on had used up beneficial bowling time however this pitch had yielded runs at greater than 4.5 per over within the opening three days and skipper Scott Borthwick would have been conscious of Leicestershire chasing down 389 to win at 4.56 per over to beat Yorkshire at Headingley in April.

Within the occasion, the opportunity of a Leicestershire win receded nearly instantly as Raine had Sol Budinger caught behind swinging at one he maybe ought to have left and Hill edging to first slip first ball, which he did must play. Rishi Patel had been dropped at quick midwicket off Raine’s first supply.

By the seventh over, Leicestershire had been 23 for 3, Patel having picked up two boundaries within the over off Raine earlier than he was caught at deep backward sq. off a top-edged hook as he went for an additional.

Handscomb and Colin Ackermann added 61 with out additional loss earlier than lunch, though the latter had loved a slice of luck 31 when Bedingham put down an edge to second slip, once more off Raine.

Potts dismissed Ackermann quickly after lunch, Leicestershire’s first-innings centurion driving loosely away from his physique to nick one via to Ollie Robinson off an inside edge.

A lot now rested Handscomb, who reached his half-century from 73 balls, and the South African Wiaan Mulder to maintain Durham’s bowlers away from a prolonged tail.

Their trigger was helped by a stoppage for dangerous mild and light-weight rain, taking eight overs out of the sport, however set again once more once they returned after an early tea to lose Mulder caught behind – a call with which he plainly disagreed – and new man Tom Scriven caught at second slip in consecutive overs as Raine took his fourth wicket and Potts, regardless of needing therapy on the sphere for an obvious neck downside, his second.

After Matt Parkinson entered the assault to dismiss Chris Wright, caught at slip, along with his fourth ball, Leicestershire had been 181 for 7. It ought to have been 187 for 8 within the leg-spinner’s subsequent over, however Callum Parkinson survived an opportunity to quick leg.

It was solely a short reprieve, nonetheless, Callum judged leg earlier than on the entrance foot in his brother’s subsequent over. He had been dismissed by Matt in that means within the twins’ solely earlier first-class assembly, at Grace Street in 2019, wherein by coincidence Callum additionally trapped Matt leg earlier than.

With 26 overs nonetheless left, Leicestershire had been now determined for the climate to intervene however as that menace receded it was right down to Handscomb to guard his two remaining companions.

The Australian picked off boundaries with relative ease as he accomplished his second hundred for the county along with his 14th, though he had an escape on 110 when a vanguard off Liam Trevaskis looped simply past the attain of Borthwick at quick mid-on and survived a assured attraction for caught behind simply earlier than the sunshine closed in for the final time.