JEFFERSON
GETS LEICESTESHIRE OFF TO EXCELLENT START by Marcus Hook
Surrey v Leicestershire 337-4.
Thanks to Will Jefferson's 135 off 174 balls,
which included 19 fours and two sixes, Leicestershire got off to an
excellent start on the opening day at the Brit Oval. It was the
30-year-old's fourteenth first-class hundred, although it was his
first in the County Championship since September 2005. It was
followed up with half-centuries from James Taylor and Jacques du
Toit, who has so far contributed an undefeated 72 in 124 deliveries
to put Leicestershire in a dominant position on 337-4.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the
visitors - who lost their vice-captain Andrew McDonald to a late
fitness test on a tweaked hamstring - initially found themselves in
trouble when Matthew Boyce, pushing forward to Jade Dernbach in the
fourth over, went leg before without scoring. But, thereafter, the
Leicestershire batsmen found the pitch as much to their liking as
the good-sized crowd did the glorious weather.
Will Jefferson, who was in majestic form, then
shared in two three-figure partnerships. After playing himself in,
he pulled Dernbach for four in the tenth over. Five overs later, the
former Essex and Notts opener cut Gareth Batty to the cover point
rope. In the next, he drove Meaker for fours either side of the
wicket.
In the 21st over, Paul Nixon, who had edged
Dernbach, at a catchable height, through the vacant gully area early
in his innings, cut Batty in front of square on the off-side for
four. The next over saw Jefferson drive Chris Schofield's first
delivery to the rope at wide long-off before slog sweeping the
former England leg-spinner for four.
Jefferson moved to his fifty in the 25th over when
he flicked Batty to long leg for a single. His half-century had come
from 74 balls and it contained eight boundaries, including a reverse
swept four off Batty.
The visitors went to lunch on 106-1. But, in the
fourth over after the interval, Nixon, looking to force Chris
Tremlett straight up the ground, was bowled off an inside edge for
41; bringing the curtain down on a second wicket stand that was
worth 105 in 33 overs.
Jefferson then put on 118 in 21 overs with James
Taylor, who announced himself with a cover driven boundary off
Tremlett a couple of overs later. In the 40th over, Jefferson
despatched Batty through extra cover for two successive fours.
Four overs later, Jefferson slog swept Batty for
six. In the 48th over he went to his hundred, in 137 deliveries, in
similar fashion, this time clubbing the ball out of the ground.
Jefferson brought the 200 up for Leicestershire in
the 53rd over with a drive through extra cover for four off the
bowling of Dernbach. Two overs later, Stuart Meaker, who had been
expensive, should have been rewarded for his efforts, but Arun
Harinath dropped Jefferson, who was on 128, at deep fine leg.
Fortunately, for Surrey, it did not prove costly.
Jefferson, cutting Schofield, was caught at backward point three
overs later, but the Oval outfit still had to seek to contain Taylor
and Jacques du Toit on a beautiful pitch. The former duly brought up
his half-century, off 55 balls, with an on driven four off Schofield
in the 60th over.
Resuming on 245-3 after tea, Leicestershire's
fourth wicket pair were separated in the 71st over, when Taylor was
defeated by Batty's arm ball, though not before du Toit had cut
Meaker to the point boundary to give his side a second batting point
and launched Batty straight down the ground for six.
Du Toit's fifty was 86 deliveries in the making.
The single he took to mid-on off Schofield to bring it up also took
Leicestershire to 300. Surrey delayed taking the new ball until
after 88 overs had been bowled. In the 91st over it nearly produced
a wicket, but du Toit, on 61, was dropped at first slip by Batty off
the bowling of Tremlett, who had arguably been the pick of the
hosts' attack.
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