Cooke makes 81 before Glamorgan draw with Leicestershire

There have been some remarkable discoveries in recent months in the City of Leicester, not least the skeletal remains of Richard III, the last Plantagenet King of England, under a car park. The county's supporters were hoping that today their side would rediscover the winning habit in Championship cricket having not been victorious in a four-day contest since September 2012. Seven wickets had tumbled during a dramatic session after tea yesterday afternoon in what could prove to be a pivotal period of this enthralling contest. Firstly, Leicestershire lost their last four wickets in the space of 37 balls for just 24 runs, before Glamorgan stuttered to 47/3 in the space of 20 overs as more wickets fell during this passage of just 26 overs than in the 96 overs which had unfolded in the opening exchanges.


As play began on the final morning, under clear blue skies, Glamorgan's batsmen resumed their second innings, 125 runs to the good, and looking to consolidate after their late afternoon wobble and to ensure that their first innings efforts - their best-ever on Leicestershire soil - would not be wasted. Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke duly faced the seam bowling of Charlie Shreck and Tom Wells, with the latter being glanced to fine-leg by Ingram who next over drilled the all-rounder through the covers.


Cooke also struck Wells through backward point for four before pulling Shreck to the ropes at backward square-leg. Ingram also cover drove Wells but Ollie Freckingham then replaced Wells at the Pavilion End and with his first delivery, he induced an edge from the South African's bat which Niall O'Brien gleefully pouched behind the stumps.


83/4 saw Mark Wallace join Cooke and he was soon into his stride driving Freckingham through the covers for four before flicking Shreck to square-leg to register his 10,000^th run in all first-class cricket. However, next over, he edged a ball from Ben Raine to give O'Brien another catch as Glamorgan slipped to 104/5. His departure saw Graham Wagg join Cooke who continued to find the ropes as he square-cut Freckingham.


Wagg then cut Raine for four as the Glamorgan lead reached the 200-mark before Cooke straight drove Freckingham to the sight-screens for four en route to a 95-ball fifty which he achieved with a leg-glance against Shreck who returned to the attack after Atif Sheikh departed the field with an arm injury. He added further to his boundary tally shortly before lunch as he guided successive deliveries from Wells to third man and fine-leg.

Cooke's watchfulness and careful shot selection had helped to take his side to 155/5 by lunch and when play resumed after the interval he was unbeaten on 69 with his side 233 runs ahead to frustrate Leicestershire's ambitions of a rare Championship victory.

The tempo of the innings changed though in the fifty minutes after the interval as Cooke swiftly added further to his boundary tally as he lofted Ben Raine over long-on for four with Graham Wagg also bludgeoning Freckingham into the sightscreens at the Pavilion End before edging the seamer to third man for another four.


The flurry of fours continued as Cooke nurdled Raine to third man but four balls later he miscued another aggressive blow with Charlie Shreck holding onto the catch running around to his left at mid-off. 179/6 then became 179/7 as Wagg edged Freckingham into Niall O'Brien's gloves to give the keeper his ninth catch of the match and to equal the record in a Championship match against the Welsh county.


David Lloyd and Craig Meschede then joined forces with the latter upper cutting Shreck to third man before savagely pulling the pace bowler for four to backward square-leg as Glamorgan the 200-mark in the 62^nd over. Lloyd celebrated by square-driving Raine before Meschede struck successive balls from Tom Wells for three fours and a massive six over square-leg whereupon Glamorgan declared on 227/7 leaving the home side a target of 306 from a minimum of 50 overs.


After Jacques Rudolph's enterprising declaration, there was a very dramatic start to the Leicestershire innings as Dean Cosker took a pair of catches at second slip - the first was a superb diving effort low down in front of first slip as Dan Redfern edged Graham Wagg's fifth delivery before the evergreen fielder held a regulation catch as Ned Eckersley edged Craig Meschede's first ball.


With the scoreboard reading 1 /2 Mark Cosgrove made his way to the middle to join Angus Robson who struck the first boundary of the innings as he punched Wagg through backward point before clipping Meschede to the ropes at mid-wicket, whilst the circumspect Cosgrove off-drove Andy Carter for four shortly before tea.

The home side had gone to tea on 34/2 after 14 overs with Mark Cosgrove, in his first game as Leicestershire captain, opting for a safety first approach, rather than a helter-skelter run-chase after two wickets had tumbled from the first seven deliveries as Dean Cosker held two catches in the slips.


It was Cosker who resumed the bowling at the Pavilion End after the interval with the evergreen spinner striking with his third delivery as he bowled Angus Robson who was shouldering arms. 42/3 saw Neil Pinner join Cosgrove and he began with a flowing off-drive before Cosgrove punched Cosker through extra cover as they looked to steer the East Midlands side to the safety of a draw.


The pair also played watchfully against Andy Carter who operated initially from the Bennett End and delivered a few deliveries which scuttled through on the worn surface. Craig Meschede also returned to the attack and was clipped by Pinner for four to mid-wicket before David Lloyd also had a trundle. He was twice driven by Pinner through the three men positioned at short extra-cover before Cosker returned at the Pavilion End and was pulled for four by Cosgrove.


Meschede was also pulled and edged for a trio of fours by Pinner as further deliveries kept occasionally low. Wagg also returned and was cut for four by Pinner before Cosgrove cover drove and on-drove Cosker shortly before the start of the final hour. The southpaw then completed his fifty from 106 balls shortly before the players shook hands.