County Championship: Northants start well against Leicestershire

Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Rob Keogh combined to share seven wickets and give Northamptonshire the upper hand on the opening day of their County Championship game against Leicestershire.

The pair, who bowled Northamptonshire to their first victory of the Division Two campaign last week, dismissed the visitors for 203 at Wantage Road, with Chahal taking 4-82 and Keogh 3-20.

Opener Sol Budinger’s 56 was the only score of note for Leicestershire, who opted to bat after winning the toss but struggled to get to grips with the home spinners.

Paceman Scott Currie picked up two wickets as Northamptonshire reached stumps at 134-3 in reply, with James Sales undefeated on 34.

Rishi Patel fell to Saif Zaib’s low catch at point off Jack White before Ian Holland batted almost an hour for 12 until he was bowled by Chahal’s third ball.

Keogh bowled Lewis Hill and, after reaching his first half-century of the campaign, Budinger fell leg before to White.

Louis Kimber nudged Ben Sanderson behind, Rehan Ahmed belted Chahal for two sixes in his quickfire 30, but picked out the long-off fielder when he tried it a third time, before Ben Cox swung and missed to provide the spinner with another wicket.

Liam Trevaskis finished with an unbeaten 25 to guide the Foxes past 200 as the spinners cleaned up the tail.

Luke Procter launched the home side’s response with 38 off 36 balls until he was caught behind swishing outside off stump at Currie, who also pinned George Bartlett in front for a duck.

Gus Miller batted solidly, making 37, and although he was lbw to Tom Scriven, Sales and Keogh steered their side to within 69 runs of the visitors at the close.