County Championship: Leicestershire routed for 43 by victorious Worcestershire

New Zealander Matt Henry has taken 19 wickets in four Championship appearances for Worcestershire

Worcestershire skittled Leicestershire for just 43 to pull off a seven-wicket win inside three days at Grace Road.

A first Championship win of 2016 for Steve Rhodes' side looked unlikely when they resumed their first innings on 249-8, still trailing by 67 runs.

After his unbeaten 49 helped the visitors post 274, Matt Henry (4-27) then bowled unchanged with Joe Leach (4-10) to rout their hosts in 25 overs.

Despite three scalps for Clint McKay, Worcester reached their target on 88-3.

After his first-innings 5-99, Worcestershire vice-captain Leach earned career-best match figures of 9-109, but he and Henry were aided by two run-outs.

On 11-3, Mark Pettini's attempt at a single from a misfield backfired when Ross Whiteley threw down the stumps from wide gully, while Aadil Ali was run out by a direct hit from Brett D'Oliveira which took out middle stump.

Henry's four wickets were chiefly the result of fine swing bowling, Paul Horton edging low to third slip, before skipper Mark Cosgrove played a disappointingly airy drive to an inswinger from the New Zealander, who produced another fine delivery to bowl McKay.

Other than a Leach delivery which rose, took the shoulder of the bat, then flew straight to point, the rest of the dismissals owed more to ordinary batting.

But, after 15 wickets fell inside less than a session and a half, the Grace Road track will automatically be referred to the England and Wales Cricket Board's pitch liaison officer Tony Pigott by match umpires Nigel Cowley and Billy Taylor.

Worcestershire's first victory back in Division Two after five successive rain-affected draws lifts them for now within five points of leaders Essex into second place in the table.

Leicestershire's unwanted records

Leicestershire's total of 43 was their lowest since being bowled out for 34 by Essex at Southend in 2011.

It was also their lowest against Worcestershire since the visitors' title-winning season in 1965. That day, they were bowled out for 52 by Jack Flavell (5-29) and Len Coldwell (4-23) inside 17 overs.

The lowest score in their history, briefly under threat at 15-5, was being bowled out for 25 by Kent at their Aylestone Road home in Leicester in 1912.

Analysis: BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae

"The deteriorating pitch played its part, but the Foxes batsmen did not help themselves.

"There was little indication of the mayhem to come when Leicestershire picked up the two remaining Worcestershire first-innings wickets. But, thereafter, it was 'avert your eyes' time for home supporters.

"Of the eight wickets that tumbled in the morning session, only two could unquestionably be ascribed to the pitch. Two were run-outs, while the remaining four were down to a combination of good bowling and poor shots."

A brilliant group effort - Leach

Leicestershire captain Mark Cosgrove:

"From 250-4 at the end of the first day we lost track of that game very quickly. We need to go away and think about the way we played. It was not acceptable.

"The pitch was pretty good, to be fair. If you look at the wickets which fell, not many were directly down to the pitch. We can't blame anyone but ourselves.

"There was definitely a bit of panic. We weren't on our game, and we played the sort of cricket we don't want to play and haven't played all season.

"No-one was up to the task, no-one put the team first, including myself, and it bit us in the backside."

Worcestershire vice-captain Joe Leach told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"We had a bit of luck, which always counts for quite a lot in cricket. But we were determined to win, as all we've done is draw so far.

"But it was a brilliant group effort. Those two run-outs, some diving stops in the field backed up by some pretty good bowling. And the batters did brilliantly to get us up to 274 in our first innings. That was key, because the pitch was deteriorating.

"That kept us in the game. And to win like that, the wrong way round, because we made the wrong decision regarding putting them in, is very satisfying.

"I know I was 0-82 after the first day, but I didn't feel I had actually bowled that badly. A couple of chances went down, a couple of decisions weren't given. But that's cricket: you wake up on day two and everything went for me and it snowballed from there."