Foxes victory push ended by rain

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP, Division Two, Grace Road, day four:
Gloucestershire 281 & 198-4 dec drew with Leicestershire 169-4 dec & 110-4
Points: Leics 7, Glos 7

Match scorecard

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Leicestershire's Championship game against Gloucestershire at Grace Road was abandoned as a draw.

Rain swept in during the tea interval with the home side on 110-4 chasing a victory target of 311.

With both sides keen for a result, the visitors declared on 198-4 in their second innings, Hamish Marshall making 66 and Chris Taylor 76.

Leicestershire slumped to 36-4 but Joshua Cobb (31no) and Paul Nixon (38no) led a revival before heavy rain.

The intervention of the weather leaves Gloucestershire still seeking their first victory in Division Two this season.

The morning session had seen Leicestershire feed the Gloucestershire batsmen some generous bowling, which enabled them to pile up 156 runs off just 13.5 overs.

Marshall took advantage, making his 66 off 40 balls, while Taylor weighed in with 76 off 43 balls.

When the declaration came Leicestershire made the worst possible start to their run-chase, losing two wickets in the first four overs with only two runs on the board.

Joe Lewis had Matt Boyce caught low down at first slip and then Steve Kirby grabbed the vital wicket of HD Ackerman, trapping him leg before wicket with a delivery which kept low.

By lunch Leicestershire had struggled to 23-2 off 17 overs and their situation became even worse in the early overs of the afternoon.

Greg Smith was bowled with a good delivery from David Brown and Jacques du Toit was given out lbw to another excellent delivery from the impressive Lewis.

The Gloucestershire skipper had 11 maidens in his 13 overs and there were only three scoring strokes made against him - two boundaries and a single.

But Cobb and Nixon put the brakes on Gloucestershire's progress with a defiant fifth-wicket partnership before rain had the final say, leaving both sides with seven points each.