Ward and Sutcliffe conjure fightback

Leicestershire 131 and 151-0 Kent 339

Forecasts based on the first day's play would have had this contest approaching a conclusion by now, which just goes to show that plotting the course of an asteroid may be a more reliable science. Leicestershire, 60 for 5 at lunch on Wednesday and ultimately dismissed for 133 inside 53 overs, negotiated 54 overs without loss yesterday to cut a first-innings deficit of 208 to 57.

Given that four umpires have stood so far – an injury-stricken Nigel Cowley being replaced first by the local umpire Barry Orton and then by the ex-Nottinghamshire and England batsman Tim Robinson, summoned from the reserve list to make his championship debut – maybe this was destined to be a match of surprises.

There were half-centuries for Trevor Ward and Iain Sutcliffe, in the case of the former bringing to an end a wretched run at Grace Road this season, where eight previous championship innings had yielded only 42 runs.

Conditions had changed markedly. Rising temperatures took away the moisture that had given the seamers something to bite on and, while the humidity was high, no batsman seemed inconvenienced by swing. But for a few oddities of bounce, it now looked a perfect batting track.

It was good enough certainly for Leicestershire to race past 50 in the sixth over as Amjad Khan and Martin Saggers fed easy pickings to the opening pair. Mark Ealham and David Masters made them work harder, but Sutcliffe was still celebrating a 65-ball 50 by the 21st over, having collected 10 fours.

Ward, perhaps remembering the streaky inside edge that had almost been his demise on eight, paused before reaching the same mark off 105 balls, with 10 fours also. Their partnership is Leicestershire's best opening stand of the season, although it almost ended when Ward edged the penultimate ball of the day off Masters to second slip only to be dropped by Ealham.

Earlier, Robert Key had extended his overnight 103 to 127 before chipping to square-leg. Matt Whiley's raw pace was rewarded with championship-best figures of 3 for 60 as Leicestershire fought back, but Kent's 339 seemed to have put them in control none the less.