Yorkshire crush Leicestershire to keep up promotion fight

They have emphatically knocked their hosts out of the Division Two promotion race as a result, leaving a three-way fight at the top between Yorkshire, Sussex and Middlesex.

If the White Rose are successful in their mission, that would put them back in Division One for the first time since 2022.

The game against Leicestershire this week was virtually over inside the first hour of the opening morning.

Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher, the latter returning from a long injury absence, ran riot to reduce the home side to an extraordinary 15-7.

It made Jonny Tattersall’s decision to insert the hosts on a green-tinged pitch look inspired, and though Leicestershire recovered slightly from that horrendous start, they were eventually bowled out for just 98.

Keeper Ben Cox saved them from complete humiliation with an enterprising 51 not out, with in-form Coad taking 5-15 and Fisher claiming 3-38.

Yorkshire celebrate yet another wicket on an extraordinary first morning against Leicestershire. (Image: John Heald Photography.)

Yorkshire struggled at the start of their reply too, and were floundering on 56-4 when Jonny Bairstow was dismissed for 18.

Useful runs from James Wharton (41) and Dom Bess (33) helped pushed Yorkshire’s lead to over 100 runs, but after reducing their visitors to 210-8, Leicestershire were still in with a shot of a comeback.

But skipper Tattersall played arguably the innings of his life, scoring a sensational 126, as he put on 138 for the ninth wicket with Fisher.

The latter, who is leaving the club at the end of the season, seemed determined to make his mark in this game after several months out.

He struck a brilliant career-best 88 at No.10, as Yorkshire posted an eventual total of 379 all out.

Tom Scriven (4-103) and Rehan Ahmed (3-60) took the bulk of the wickets for Leicestershire.

Fisher continued his phenomenal all-round display by taking the first three wickets of the home side’s second innings to reduce them to 53-3.

Matthew Fisher is congratulated by his team-mates after taking his third top-order wicket in Leicestershire's second innings. (Image: John Heald Photography.)

But with rain around, as well as international duo Ajinkya Rahane and Rehan Ahmed batting well in tandem, panic may have set in.

The skies soon cleared though, and Coad then stepped up to the plate in to dismiss Rahane for 32.

George Hill ran amok thereafter, taking the remaining wickets in double-quick time, including the prized scalp of Ahmed for 77, to finish with figures of 6-59 as Leicestershire were bowled out for 209.