Stone masterclass helps Notts tighten grip on Foxes

Image source, ShutterstockImage caption, Nottinghamshire's Olly Stone took his first five-wicket haul since 2019 Rothesay County Championship, Division One, Uptonsteel Grace Road, Leicester (day two) Nottinghamshire 490: Slater 178, Clarke 97, Duckett 77; Green 7-112 Leicestershire 220-8: Eskinazi 44*, A Patel 38*; Stone 5-41, Pennington 2-57 Leicestershire (2 pts) trail Nottinghamshire (6 pts) by 270 runs Olly Stone turned back the clock to deliver a fast-bowling masterclass as Nottinghamshire tightened their grip against Leicestershire in their County Championship clash. The 32-year-old England international, who might have played twice as many matches in his career had he not been almost perpetually plagued by injuries, finished with 5-41 as promoted Leicestershire closed day two on 220-8 in their first innings in reply to the defending champions' 490. Stevie Eskinazi top-scored for Leicestershire with an unbeaten 44 as he and New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel (38 not out) offered some belated resistance in a so-far unbroken stand of 74 for the ninth wicket, after team-mate Ben Green had earlier recorded career-best bowling of 7-112. Stone's figures are his best for Nottinghamshire, for whom he is playing in only his 11th first-class match in four seasons since joining them from Warwickshire, and his first five-wicket haul since 2019. Slater puts Notts on top against Leicestershire Published1 day agoNottinghamshire found themselves a bowler short after Brett Hutton had to leave the field midway through his fifth over but Stone's percentage of high-quality, wicket-taking deliveries more than compensated. James Hayes, whose only first-class action so far came on loan to Sussex last season, arrived on the ground before tea and fielded for the final session but has yet to be announced as an injury replacement. Leicestershire's bowlers performed better on the second morning than they had on the first, denying Nottinghamshire a fifth bowling point in the process. Green, the only seamer who ended day one in credit, was rewarded with the second first-class five-for of his career, bowling Jack Haynes via a thick inside edge and producing a textbook delivery to send Kyle Verreynne's off stump flying. Liam Patterson-White and Hutton, who both nicked behind, raised Green's tally to seven. Injury substitute Tom Scriven, meanwhile, became the third bowler of the season to dismiss Joe Clarke in the 90s, dismissing the competition's leading scorer leg before. A brilliant one-handed catch by Ben Cox behind the stumps accounted for Lyndon James, although only after the all-rounder had punished a wayward Josh Hull with three fours and two pulls for six. Nonetheless, Nottinghamshire missed out on a fifth batting bonus point, ending the 110th over on 449-8 before James and Dillon Pennington added 39 for the last wicket. Leicestershire began their reply purposefully but then lost openers Jake Weatherald and Rishi Patel in the space of 14 deliveries. Pennington sent the Australian's off stump flying before Patel, who hit seven fours in a 41-ball 37, departed caught behind after Stone entered the attack to complete Hutton's unfinished over. Patel succumbed to a ball that nipped away late, which Stone followed up with a near-unplayable delivery that clipped Holland's off stump. The home side lost a fourth wicket when Lewis Hill, whose innings never really got going, hit straight to midwicket off left-arm spinner Patterson-White. After that, Jonny Tattersall and Eskinazi were content to steer a path to tea with no more wickets lost. But Stone, whose only first-class appearance in 2025 came on loan at Middlesex, returned after the break with his best spell of the day, adding three more wickets in 20 deliveries without conceding another run. Nipping the ball away, he had Tattersall caught behind and Cox at first slip before beating Green to hit off stump as Leicestershire found themselves in deep trouble at 112-7, still 378 behind. After Stone was given a breather, Pennington dismissed Scriven via a miscue to long leg and a catch by Hayes, but Eskinazi, who has been in good early-season form with a hundred and two fifties so far, was assisted by Patel in frustrating the visitors in the final hour and a quarter. Report by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay. Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport

Stone masterclass helps Notts tighten grip on Foxes

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