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Varun Aaron helps Leicestershire turn game on its head

Varun Aaron in his delivery stride PTI

Leicestershire 191 and 119 for 2 (Horton 50) lead Glamorgan 178 (Aaron 4-65) by 132 runs
Scorecard

Leicestershire's batsmen picked up where their bowlers left off as they turned their Specsavers County Championship match against Glamorgan on its head at the Fischer County Ground.

Paul Horton hit an aggressive 50, his third half-century of the season, putting on 62 with fellow opener Michael Carberry before rain caused an early end to proceedings with Leicestershire leading by 132, with eight second innings wickets in hand.

The position represented a remarkable turnaround after the visitors had begun the day on 82 without loss in their first innings reply to Leicestershire's first innings score of 191.

Ben Raine struck with the fourth ball of the morning, as having beaten Jack Murphy twice in succession, he then induced the young left-hander to fend at a short delivery outside off-stump. The ball took the edge and flew straight to first slip, where Horton held the catch at the second attempt.

Shaun Marsh clipped Varun Aaron for one sweetly-timed boundary through square leg, but the fast bowler immediately had his revenge, pushing a ball across the left-hander which he edged to wicket-keeper Lewis Hill.

Former India Test paceman Aaron then bowled Nick Selman with a delivery the right-hander left, only to lose his off-stump as the ball came back off the seam.

Aneurin Donald survived a huge leg before appeal before he had scored, but had gone on to only 14 when he tried to pull a delivery from Gavin Griffiths that did not get up as much as he expected and bottom-edged the ball into his stumps.

Kiran Carlson had also made 14 when looking to drive, he steered a wide delivery from Gavin Griffiths to gully, where Mark Cosgrove held a smart low catch.

The odd ball was starting to stay low, and the Gavin Griffiths' delivery which bowled Chris Cooke was one of them. Lloyd deposited a short delivery from Dexter straight into the hands of Raine at deep square leg, and Aaron (who finished with 4 for 65, comfortably his best figures since joining Leicestershire) produced quick seaming deliveries to dismiss de Lange and Andrew Salter.

Horton and Michael Carberry then batted solidly as Glamorgan's seamers struggled to replicate the accuracy of their efforts in the first innings. Marchant de Lange did pick up the wicket of Carberry, caught behind for 20, and Horton was dismissed immediately after reaching 50, though he looked decidedly unimpressed to be given out leg before on the front foot to a David Lloyd in-swinger.

Mark Cosgrove and Colin Ackermann had added 43 runs for the third wicket when the rain closed in, ending play with 25 overs remaining to be bowled.

Glamorgan 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st6JR MurphyNJ Selman
2nd18SE MarshJR Murphy
3rd14JR MurphyKS Carlson
4th13JR MurphyAHT Donald
5th19CB CookeAHT Donald
6th11DL LloydCB Cooke
7th26CB CookeAG Salter
8th32CB CookeM de Lange
9th56T van der GugtenM de Lange
10th52MG HoganM de Lange