County Championship: Leicestershire fight back against Middlesex

Harry Swindells scored at a slow rate but helped Leicestershire avoid the follow-on

Division Two's bottom side Leicestershire recovered from 66-5 to close in on promotion-chasing Middlesex's first-innings total on day two of their County Championship match.

Middlesex, still with a chance of catching Nottinghamshire to win the title, had posted 297 and appeared well set to at least consolidate their grip on second place after their bowling attack's fine start.

But Harry Swindells (67) and Tom Scriven (65) led winless Leicestershire's fightback as they reached stumps on 273-9 - just 24 runs behind.

Leicestershire's day started well. Michael Finan completed his maiden five-wicket haul when he took two scalps in his first over to finish off the Middlesex innings three runs short of what might be an important third batting point.

By lunch, though, the atmosphere in the home dressing room would have been markedly different with Leicestershire five wickets down.

With Hassan Azad and Rishi Patel left out for lack of form and leading scorer Wiaan Mulder back in South Africa, the 18-year-old rookie all-rounder Rehan Ahmed was required to bat at five in what looked a pretty thin line-up.

Sol Budinger went in the second over for seven, cutting Toby Roland-Jones for three and then four before edging to second slip to a visible send-off from the Middlesex seamer.

Louis Kimber was bowled off an inside edge by a swinging ball from the ageless Tim Murtagh.

Sam Evans was beaten by a delivery from Ethan Bamber that clipped off stump before a full, straight one from Roland-Jones was too good for Colin Ackermann, who was lbw.

Ahmed made 26 off 45 balls before an injudicious swipe saw him bowled by fellow leg-spinner Luke Hollman's opening delivery.

Yet by tea Leicestershire were in a much healthier position, having negotiated a 38-over middle session without losing another wicket.

Scriven - in only his fourth first-class match - and Swindells guided them to 184-5 at the break, with the threat of a follow-on avoided.

Scriven passed 50 for the first time in a first-class match for Leicestershire, reaching the milestone from 97 balls with a dab into the off side for one that also took the partnership to three figures.

Swindells's half-century came off 133 balls just before tea.

Scriven fell seven deliveries into the final session as Murtagh found the edge.

Ed Barnes helped add another 39 before Swindells was undone when Hollman made one rear up and take the glove or shoulder of the bat to loop to Stephen Eskinazi at second slip.

By the time the new ball was taken, Finan had come and gone, caught at third slip off Roland-Jones, but skipper Callum Parkinson helped Barnes add another 28 for the ninth wicket before the latter was lbw to Bamber.

Leicestershire's Tom Scriven told BBC Radio Leicester:

"The beans were going a bit at lunchtime. Obviously we've had a couple of situations like that this season. Middlesex bowled well up top, bowled some nice deliveries.

"Harry Swindells is quite a reassuring presence. We just tried to bat time, really. They bowled nicely throughout but it becomes a bit easier as the ball gets old and we tried to profit then.

"They are a top attack and we have to be happy with where we are after the start we had.

"I was a bit disappointed to get out but, although you are pleased to get to tea in that sort of situation it gets you out of your rhythm and at another point in the innings it was a ball I would perhaps leave, so I maybe need to kick into gear a bit quicker."

Middlesex fast bowler Ethan Bamber told BBC Radio London:

"Looking at where we are in the table, I try to use it as motivation. It is an exciting position, one we haven't been in as a team recently, to be playing in competitive matches that really mean something.

"Any lead is going to be crucial. It looks like the pitch is going to deteriorate a bit. There are a few deliveries keeping low and a few jumping.

"From where we were at lunch, it would have been nice if we had been walking off at tea with the job done but, process wise, we were not a million miles off in the way we bowled.

"Tom and Harry batted really well in that middle period and in those situations you've just got to hang in there."

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.