Tuesday, June 17th, 2014

County Set 404 Target After Mitchell And Fell Hit Centuries At Grace Road

County Set 404 Target After Mitchell And Fell Hit Centuries At Grace Road

Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell scored his fourth century of the season in the LV = County Championship and Tom Fell the first of his career as Leicestershire were set a 404 target at Grace Road.

Mitchell reached three figures off 160 balls with a boundary – the 14th of his innings – off Charlie Shreck on the third day of the Division Two encounter.

It followed on from his century against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl and two in two innings against Glamorgan at the Swalec Stadium.

Fell had been cruelly denied a first hundred last season when he was unbeaten on 94 against Kent before the final day was washed out.

But this time he went to the landmark with a four on the legside off Dan Redfern. It came off 215 balls with 12 fours.

He was hugged by Alexei Kervezee before raising his bat to his other team-mates and Director Of Cricket Steve Rhodes who was celebrating his 50th birthday.

Fell had survived a chance to Redfern at first slip off former Worcestershire paceman Richard Jones when on 29.

For good measure, there was time for Tom Kohler-Cadmore to register his first 50 in Championship cricket off just 52 balls with six fours before the declaration at 444-8 with eight overs left in the day.

Leicestershire, without a Championship win since 2012, reached 20-0 off eight overs by the close.

Mitchell and Fell came together at 18-1 on Monday evening with Worcestershire still 23 in arrears and extended their partnership to 178 in 55 overs.

Nathan Buck broke the stand when Mitchell on 120 lost his leg stump to a ball which did not bounce a lot and came back in.

By then he had extended his run tally for the season to 920 after hitting 16 fours in his 202 ball knock.

But Hampshire's James Vince became the first player to score 1,000 runs in 2014 during his double hundred against Essex.

First innings century-maker Kervezee and Fell added 111 in 27 overs before the former on 57 – his fifth score of 50 or more this season – fell when chipping Redfern to Ned Eckersley at mid wicket.

Fell was unbeaten on 120 out of 312-3 at tea – a lead of 271 but added only three more before edging Buck through to wicket-keeper Niall O'Brien. His 245 ball innings contained 14 boundaries.

The visitors were intent on adding quick runs in the final session before a declaration and the lead extended past 300 before Ben Cox (12) flashed outside the off stump and was caught by O'Brien off Ben Raine.

Kohler-Cadmore and Ross Whiteley (24) plundered 65 off 10 overs before the latter holed out to Leicestershire skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan off Buck.

It became 415-7 when Kohler-Cadmore (56) was caught off a skier by Ned Eckersley at extra cover off Shreck. When Buck claimed his fifth wicket by bowling Joe Leach (14), it was the signal for the declaration.