County Championship: Leicestershire bat out final day to draw with Sussex

Wiaan Mulder's 102 not out came off 167 balls

Hundreds from Rishi Patel and Wiaan Mulder steered Leicestershire to a draw against Sussex after being asked to follow on, to preserve their County Championship Division Two unbeaten record.

Dismissed for 270 late on Saturday in reply to their opponents' 430 , they were in early trouble at 65-4 as Sussex chased a second win of the season.

But after Patel had made 100 from 157 balls - the third century of a season he began with none to his name - South African all-rounder Mulder saw them to safety with an unbeaten 102 to go with his five wickets in the Sussex innings.

He had valuable support from young all-rounder Tom Scriven, who contributed 51 not out to a seventh-wicket stand worth an unbroken 99 in 23 overs before hands were shaken with 20 overs unbowled.

Sussex's four-man seam attack had their moments, with 21-year-old Henry Crocombe looking sharp at times but, with Ari Karvelas and Brad Currie both making first appearances of the campaign, they could not find the outstanding individual performance needed to fashion victory.

Having resumed on 6-0, Leicestershire advanced to 48 without too many alarms in the first 40 minutes of play.

But after a major let-off when an edge offered by Patel on 27 was put down by third slip Tom Clark, they then lost four wickets in eight overs to slip to 65-4.

Sol Budinger slashed Fynn Hudson-Prentice to Ali Orr at point, the opener getting a send-off from the Sussex fielders that seemed to prompt a warning from the umpires. He was immediately followed back by captain Lewis Hill as Crocombe did enough to induce an edge to first slip.

Colin Ackermann, who scored 298 runs in his first four innings of the season but just 34 in his next five, faced 25 balls before he was leg before to Karvelas, then Currie delivered a beauty to hit Australian Peter Handscomb's off stump.

With Leicestershire still 95 behind, Sussex's tails were up, yet they missed another chance to dismiss Patel when he was dropped at first slip on 47 off Currie, who then also had a strong lbw appeal against him turned down.

The hosts were still 69 in arrears at lunch, yet there was always a suspicion that a Sussex attack lacking both Ollie Robinson and Nathan McAndrew might struggle to bowl out Leicestershire out twice, especially in improving weather conditions and with their opponents concerned only in saving the game.

Patel went on to complete his hundred comprising three sixes in his 16 boundaries before pushing at a ball from Currie in the same over that he had no need to play at, to be caught at slip.

When Rehan Ahmed was out three overs later, brilliantly caught by a diving Steve Smith at second slip off Crocombe, Leicestershire were vulnerable again - six down and just 36 in front - with still 43 overs remaining.

But Leicestershire rediscovered their resilience, Mulder regaining his touch to register his century with his 16th four as the game ended in a draw.

Leicestershire centurion Rishi Patel:

"We were in a tight spot for a lot of the game. They put on a big score in their first innings and ours did not go according to plan.

"But we showed a lot of strength and fight to bat the way we did in the second innings. We have that depth. We bat all the way down.

"Wiaan Mulder found his form in this match with bat and ball, but it was only a matter of time before he did. He is a great player. He showed last year how good he is. Hopefully this is just the start and he can now kick on.

"It has been a nice season for me so far, but it is just about scoring runs for the team at the moment. Personal achievements take a back seat."

Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace:

"I'm frustrated and disappointed. Over the last three weeks we have got ourselves into good positions to win but we haven't been good enough.

"Fair play to Leicestershire. Their batters applied themselves and played really well. You know that any team that Paul Nixon works with are going to compete.

"We did not have Ollie Robinson or Nathan McAndrew in this game but it is in those situations that you need people to stand up. Fynn Hudson-Prentice for the last few weeks has done that without perhaps having the rewards for the work he has put in.

"You have be strong mentally and you have to want to improve, which is why it is good to have people like Steve Smith and Cheteshwar Pujara around. Steve has been outstanding. He is a great bloke, he is low maintenance, he practises well, he speaks brilliantly, and in the time he has been here he has been a very good influence."

Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.