Greg Smith & Ned Eckersley defy Middlesex
Last updated on .From the section Counties
| LV County Championship Division Two, Grace Road |
| Close, day one: Leicestershire 319 v Middlesex |
| Leics 3pts, Middlesex 3pts |
| Match scorecard |
| Live commentary |
Greg Smith and Ned Eckersley both hit centuries to defy promotion-chasing Middlesex on day one of their clash with Leicestershire at Grace Road.
The Division Two leaders enjoyed a dream start as Corey Collymore and Tim Murtagh reduced the hosts to 4-3.
Smith (108) rebuilt with Jacques du Toit (42) before then sharing 131 for the fifth wicket with Eckersley (106).
Collymore, Murtagh and Gareth Berg all ended up with three wickets as Leicestershire were dismissed for 319.
CLOSE OF PLAY SUMMARY
BBC London 94.9's Kevin Hand:
"The Leicestershire fightback from 4-3 was outstanding and frustrated a Middlesex team that would have been sniffing promotion at that stage.
"Greg Smith put a bad season behind him with his first Championship century of the year, while it was a maiden first-class ton for Ned Eckersley.
"The pitch looked slow and Middlesex only deployed one slip for much of the day, while the strong winds were also a problem for the bowlers."
