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Lions prevailed over Titans, scoring a six-wicket win in their Sunfoil Series match in Benoni

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsLions prevailed over Titans, scoring a six-wicket win in their Sunfoil Series match in Benoni. Chasing 181 runs for victory, Lions, who began at an overnight score of 69 for 0, wrapped up proceedings in the first session of play, with a day to spare. The win puts Lions at the top of the points table in the series.Much of the credit for this win rests with fast bowler Hardus Viljoen and batsman Neil McKenzie. Viljoen’s finished the match with figures of 9 for 81, including a six-wicket haul in the second innings that was instrumental in dismissing Titans for 187.McKenzie’s knock of 70 in the first innings helped Lions gain a slender seven run-lead as they scored 202 in response to Titans’ innings of 195. McKenzie, who has played 58 Tests and 64 ODIs for South Africa, then put on 56 runs for the third wicket with Temba Bavuma to seal the match for Lions.

A wrap of this week’s Regional Four Day Competition matches

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Feb-2013
ScorecardKirk Edwards led Barbados from the front, scoring a century in the first innings against Guyana•WICB

Barbados registered their first win in this year’s Regional Four Day Competition, beating Guyana by an emphatic 93 runs in Bridgetown on Monday.Barbados dominated the match on all days, beginning with some solid batting on the first day. Captain Kirk Edwards led from the front with a composed 120 off 195 balls. A 164-run fourth-wicket partnership between Edwards and Jonathan Carter gave Barbados a platform for a substantial score and useful contributions from the lower order ensured that the hosts reached 367.Guyana’s reply ran out of steam as Miguel Cummins and Ashley Nurse struck at regular intervals, stifling partnerships between the batsmen. Useful knocks from wicketkeeper Derwin Christian, captain Veerasammy Permaul and Ronsford Beaton managed to lift Guyana to 225.With a lead of 142, Barbados were looking to bat Guyana out of the match. Opener Rashidi Boucher scored a sedate 81 and, with some support from Roston Chase, extended Barbados’ lead to 377.Guyana got off to a solid start in the chase, despite losing opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul early, as Rajindra Chandrika and Leon Johnson added 78 runs for the second wicket. The visitors were without their captain Permaul in the second innings, who joined the West Indies’ preparatory camp ahead of the Zimbabwe series. His replacement in the batting line-up, Zaheer Mohamed, was stoic as he faced up to the challenge of a steep target. Mohamed added 88 runs for the seventh wicket with Christian, but ran out of partners as Guyana were dismissed for 284.
ScorecardAn all-round bowling effort by Windward Islands helped them dismiss Trinidad and Tobago for 86 in their second innings, en route to a ten-wicket win in St Vincent. The result got them 12 points, to lead the Regional Four-Day Competition points table.Fielding first, they bowled T&T out for 179 on the first day, with seamer Keon Peters taking three wickets and three other bowlers joining in with two each. Besides middle-order batsman Jason Mohammed, who scored a half-century, no one put up any resistance. The captain and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, who has been selected for the West Indies squad for the upcoming one-day series against Zimbabwe, scored 20.In reply, Windwards started strongly with a 124-run stand between Devon Smith and Tyrone Theophile, both of whom scored half-centuries. Smith was eventually bowled for 99, and the rest of the batting crumbled as Ravi Rampaul, returning from injury, and legspinner Lanic Cariah took nine wickets between them to bowl Windwards out for 260. Rampaul took 5 for 65.But T&T couldn’t claw their way back in the match. Eight batsmen, including Ramdin, scored in single digits, and no one scored more than 15, as they only evaded an innings defeat by five runs. Seamer Delorn Johnson and spinner Dalton Polius were the chief wreckers, taking three wickets each.Windward Islands took two overs to reach their target of six to finish the game on the third day.

The preview for the third ODI between South Africa and Pakistan in Johannesburg

The Preview by Firdose Moonda16-Mar-2013

Match facts

March 17, 2013, Johannesburg

Start time 1000 local (0800 GMT)Hashim Amla has teased with starts in both matches so far•AFP

Big Picture

If one-day series have to be this drawn out – this five-match one will take 15 days to complete – at least they should reach their mid-point with all to play for. Pakistan’s comeback in Centurion has ensured that is the case and set the contest up for an exciting second half.With just over 34 hours separating the end of the second match on Friday night and the start of the third one on Sunday morning, this is the only time in the series where momentum may matter because there is such little time to reflect. For Pakistan, that’s good news.They did almost everything right at SuperSport Park, although there are a few things they will want to improve on. After having South Africa 62 for 5, they probably conceded more than they would have liked to. They also made heavy weather of the small chase upfront and will want one of the top three batsmen to go on to post a big score.Those things involve fine-tuning but South Africa have to look at the broader problems. Again, they found themselves in a pressure situation and again, they could not emerge from it. Farhaan Behardien’s determination served as an indication that the middle order is firming up but now they need a collective effort.Their only fault in the field was a lack of control as AB de Villiers edged dangerously close to being behind the over-rate. Mini-conferences between deliveries and constant changes of fields indicated how hard he was trying to create something but that needs to be tempered with some urgency.

Form guide

(Most recent first)

South Africa: LWWLL
Pakistan: WLLWW

In the spotlight

Hashim Amla has teased with starts in both matches so far but a nasty habit of inside-edging is blighting his game. Usually known for his cool head, Amla has looked hasty in his approach. In his reign as the No.1 ranked ODI batsman in the world, Amla has struck that balance so far but with Graeme Smith struggling and an inexperienced middle order, he is not getting it quite right in this series yet.With Mohammed Irfan in doubt with a hamstring injury, it will fall to Umar Gul to lead the Pakistan attack once again. Gul has only had one impressive performance on tour, his explosive 5 for 6 in the Twenty20, but he has not taken a single wicket in the ODIs. Moreover, he has been expensive and although he succeeded in troubling Smith in the first match, he was ineffective in the second. If Pakistan hope for a repeat of their Centurion showing, Gul will have to up his game significantly.

Team news

Farhaan Behardien earned himself a few more matches with the only half-century of the innings in Centurion which will keep David Miller out further. Dale Steyn’s return means that if Rory Kleinveldt has not recovered from the rib niggle that kept him out of Friday’s match, the attack will also stay the same.South Africa: (probable) 1 Graeme Smith 2 Hashim Amla 3 Colin Ingram, 4 AB de Villiers (capt & wk), 5 Faf du Plessis, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Ryan McLaren 8 Robin Peterson 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Kyle Abbott/Rory Kleinveldt, 11 Lonwabo TsotsobeAfter Kamran Akmal partnered Mohammad Hafeez with some success in Centurion, pressure will mount on the management to let him open. That would mean only a reshuffle in the batting order with Hafeez dropping to No.3. Pakistan did not miss the extra batsman on Friday and will stick to the same combination with three fast bowlers and Saeed Ajmal as long as Irfan is fit. If Irfan does not play, Wahab Riaz may come in.Pakistan: (probable) 1, 2 and 3 Nasir Jamshed/Kamran Akmal (wk)/Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Saeed Ajmal 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Mohammed Irfan/Wahab Riaz

Pitch and conditions

Six years ago, this was the ground that produced what it still advertised as the “Greatest ODI of all time,” the 438 game between South Africa and Australia. The Wanderers one-day surface promises runs and pace and more of the same can be expected. The weather forecast is clear during the day with a shower possible in the evening.Unrelated to the match, but of interest nonetheless is that the stadium will be turned pink in support of breast cancer awareness and the organisers are attempting to break the record for the most number of people wearing pink in one place on a day.

Stats and trivia

• Of the players in this series, Graeme Smith has the most runs at the Wanderers with 452 at an average of 41.09.
• Pakistan have never won a bilateral ODI series against South Africa.

Quotes

“We’ve had two one-sided games so far because one of the teams hasn’t turned up. We didn’t turn up today and Pakistan didn’t in Bloemfontein. If both teams pitch up at the Wanderers, hopefully it will be a very exciting game on Sunday. We will still be favourites because of home conditions on a bouncy and pacy track at the Wanderers.”

“With the fielding restrictions, you need to pick wickets. Chasing five or six runs an over is easy to get when batsmen are settled. Every batsmen needs to go and get some big knocks. We really need to show some responsibility and just go on.”

Pakistan’s Raza Hasan is confident of being back in the reckoning for national selection with his swift recovery from a career-threatening spine injury

Umar Farooq29-Mar-2013Raza Hasan, Pakistan’s 20-year old left-arm spinner, is confident of being back in the reckoning for national selection with his swift recovery from a career-threatening spine injury. He returned to competitive cricket, after an almost four-month break, in the ongoing Faysal Bank Super Eight Twenty20 Cup.Hasan, who made his international debut last September against Australia, has played seven Twenty20 internationals since, taking six wickets at 25.66. But he was pegged back with major back trouble when he injured the disc in his spine in a domestic Twenty20 game on December 2. He underwent surgery, performed by a neurosurgeon Dr. Anjum Habib Vohra.”It was a major blow but with the timely treatment I am back in shape,” Hasan said. “Although I was given at least eight weeks’ rest by the doctor, I extended it to 12 weeks to give my body adequate rest. I am enjoying good health due to the gap. I am working hard to cover up for lost time.”I was a bit reckless earlier with my injury and I let it linger on, but now after the operation I am taking extra caution to take care of myself with proper gym sessions and back exercise.”In the wake of the injury, he missed the tours of India and South Africa, and hasn’t so far played Tests or ODIs for his country. During his layoff, two other left-arm spinners, Zulfiqar Babar and Abdur Rehman – who served a 12-week ban for testing positive for cannabis during his spell with Somerset – have been called in by the selectors. But the competition with other spinners for a place, with Saeed Ajmal leading the race, isn’t worrisome for Raza.”I am not really worried on being pushed back on return of Abdur Rehman or others as I don’t think I will be competing with anyone. The only completion I am facing is with my own self and I need to improve myself from here. I am young and have plenty of time ahead of me [to do the needful], rest is in the hands of the selectors.”

South Africa’s Graeme Smith will miss the Champions Trophy in England next month, because of the flaring up of a long-term ankle injury that will require surgery

George Dobell08-May-2013South Africa’s Graeme Smith will miss the Champions Trophy in England next month, because of the flaring up of a long-term ankle injury that will require surgery*.Smith had scans in London on the ankle on Wednesday and Surrey announced that he would return home to South Africa immediately to undergo an operation. South Africa are set to feature in the opening fixture of the Champions Trophy, against India on June 6, in just over four weeks’ time.Cricket South Africa confirmed in a release on Thursday morning that Smith will miss the tournament. “Graeme has been troubled by left ankle pain over the last few months and despite extensive treatment and physiotherapy, it has recently deteriorated significantly while playing for Surrey in England. Surgery will be required, and he has been advised to follow a rest and rehabilitation programme over the next four to six months,” team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee, was quoted as saying in the release. “This unfortunately rules him out of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales and the Selectors will name a replacement in due course.”Smith said: “It’s a big blow for me personally to be missing out on the Champions Trophy next month. Our ODI squad is creating something special and I was looking forward to being part of that family.”Titans opening batsmen Henry Davids and Lions youngster Quinton de Kock are the likeliest candidates to replace Smith in the ODI squad. It is a second setback for South Africa, as they are also without Jacques Kallis for the tournament, after the allrounder had opted to skip it due to personal reasons.On having to cut his county stint short, Smith said: “To have to head home now, so early in my time at Surrey is very frustrating but I leave the team in a good place and hope to be back with them as soon as possible.”Smith is contracted for three years and, although Surrey are resigned to the fact that his brief tenure as captain is already at an end for this season, they are confident he will return in 2014. He will not play against Durham in the Championship match beginning at The Oval on Friday and leaves Surrey in the bottom two of the first division.Surrey’s team director, Chris Adams, said: “Graeme has made an impressive start as a leader and the squad have really responded to his leadership. It’s clearly disappointing for all, especially Graeme, but we wish him a speedy recovery.”Smith missed South Africa’s fifth ODI against Pakistan in Benoni at the end of March and at the time Moosajee had referred to a “chronic left ankle problem”.He added: “We have been trying to manage him but unfortunately the impingement syndrome slowed him down today and he is quite symptomatic. He has had surgery on this ankle a while ago and I think the load and the volume of cricket for the year, and particularly during this ODI series, has troubled him.”Nevertheless, Smith, who described his ankle problem as “an ongoing problem”, honoured his contract with Surrey, aware that he was regarded as a prestigious signing who could bring stability to the club following a traumatic period brought about by the death on the London underground of their England Lions batsman Tom Maynard.Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, has already been signed as Smith’s replacement, but he was not scheduled to arrive until the start of the Champions Trophy and will see out his IPL contract with Mumbai Indians.*05.50GMT, May 9: This article has been updated after CSA confirmed Graeme Smith will miss the Champions Trophy

Half-centuries from Raymond van Schoor and Louis van der Westhuizen ensured Namibia completed a steep chase with just three balls to spare to win by eight wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2013
ScorecardNamibia completed an eight-wicket victory over Kenya in Windhoek. Kenya batted first and the openers put up a partnership of 47 runs before Craig Williams bowled Tanmay Mishra. Alex Obanda and Maurice Ouma kept the innings flowing, with Ouma eventually falling for 40. Rakep Patel weighed in with a rapid 58 off 27 balls to propel Kenya to a commanding 190 for 5.Namibia’s innings started in similar fashion, with the openers putting on 36. Once Pikky ya France fell for 18, Raymond van Schoor and Louis van der Westhuizen stole the show with a 124-run stand which effectively took the game away form Kenya. van Schoor would finish not out on 67, while van der Westhuizen scored a quick fire 66 off 39 balls. Williams’ 21 off 11 helped Namibia finish off the match with just three balls to spare.

Siddharth Trivedi, the Rajasthan Royals pace bowler, is likely to be suspended by the BCCI in relation to the IPL controversy

Amol Karhadkar13-Jun-2013

Chavan aims to return to cricket

Ankeet Chavan, the suspended Rajasthan Royals player who was released on bail earlier this week, has targetted getting back to competitive cricket. “I have always given my 100%, I have always played cricket with a lot of passion,” he told the media in Mumbai. “I just hope and believe that I get a positive result from the judiciary system so that I get to play cricket again and I get back to my career, where I was.”

Siddharth Trivedi, the Rajasthan Royals pace bowler, is likely to be suspended by the BCCI pending inquiry for breaching the board’s anti-corruption code in relation to the ongoing IPL controversy.Trivedi is not under the scanner for any direct wrongdoing but for not reporting to the IPL or the BCCI the fact that he had been approached by bookies. During the investigation into the case involving his three team-mates who were arrested for alleged spot-fixing, he reportedly told police authorities about several approaches he received from bookies that he did not pay heed to. Not reporting it first to the board could go against Trivedi, and he is likely to receive a show-cause notice later this week.”Since he didn’t report any of these alleged approaches to either his team management or the IPL authorities or the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit, he has to be issued a show-cause notice and suspended till the investigation is complete,” a BCCI insider said.Trivedi, a witness for the prosecution, had also recorded a statement before a magistrate in a Delhi court last month.According to the BCCI’s anti-corruption code, Trivedi’s actions amount to a breach of the regulations. Article 2.4.2 of the code refers to “failing or refusing to disclose to the ACU of the BCCI (without undue delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the participant to engage in conduct that would amount to a breach of this anti-corruption code.” Article 2.4.3 explains how a breach would also include failing to report “approaches or invitations that have been received by any other party to engage in conduct that would amount to a breach of this Anti-Corruption Code”.Gujarat bowler-turned-bookie Amit Singh, who was arrested along with Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila and other bookies, is also likely to be sent a show-cause notice and suspended.Though Singh wasn’t contracted to any of the IPL franchises for the 2013 season, according to the board’s anti-corruption code a player is monitored for 12 months after his last domestic or international appearance. Singh had featured in Gujarat’s Ranji Trophy campaign in the previous domestic season as well as the IPL, and is allegedly suspected to have played a pivotal role in mediating between the cricketers and the betting mafia.

England’s Ashes warm-up game at Chelmsford has lost its first-class status after two new bowlers were drafted into the Essex side

George Dobell at Chelmsford02-Jul-2013England’s Ashes warm-up game at Chelmsford has lost its first-class status after two new bowlers were drafted into the Essex side. With the Essex attack weakened through injury, England’s batsmen were progressing with facile ease when it was decided that more benefit would be gained from the match if the Essex side was supplemented with higher-quality bowlers.While unfortunate for those players who had achieved personal milestones in this match – the achievements of Tom Craddock, Tim Bresnan and Joe Root, for example, will not count towards their records – there was some merit in this decision.The entire purpose of this match had been for England to benefit from competitive cricket ahead of the Ashes. With Essex’s opening bowlers – David Masters and Tymal Mills – both ruled out of the rest of the game through injury, the nature of this contest bore no comparison to the rigours of an Ashes series.The issue came to a head when Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott were confronted with part-time spinners Tom Westley and Owais Shah. The England management, frustrated at the lack of intensity in the game, requested that Reece Topley, the tall left-arm Essex fast bowler they had asked to be included in the Essex team from the start, and Boyd Rankin, the fast bowler who made his England debut in the T20 series against New Zealand last week, come into the side.As a result, Mills and Masters were replaced by Topley and Rankin and, in accordance with the Laws, the game has lost its first-class status. Essex, in their desire to assist England, were happy to acquiesce to the request. By then Westley had also been forced off the field with a dislocated finger, sustained while fielding in the gully and attempting to field a stroke from Trott, and Essex had three young substitute fielders on the pitch.Underlining the sense that the game had descended into farce, one of them, Aaron Beard, was only 15 years old. The situation took another turn for the worse three balls after the substitutions had been made, when the players were forced off by a delay for rain.

These five games may not be entirely indicative of the future of the Indian team, but they will offer some enlightening clues

The Preview by Liam Brickhill in Harare23-Jul-2013

Match facts

Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Start time 0900 local (0700 GMT)The series will also test Virat Kohli’s captaincy, in MS Dhoni’s absence for the whole tour•AFP

Big Picture

Zimbabwe and India were regular sparring partners in the mid to late nineties, but India have only visited the country thrice since 2000 and haven’t invited the Zimbabweans over since 2002. For the hosts, the upcoming series could well be the marquee cricketing event of the year, and India also have their reasons to make the most out of this trip.The presence of five potential one-day international debutants suggests that India are keen to try out a couple of new options, particularly with the ball, and the series will also allow Virat Kohli to add to his CV as the heir to the captaincy after mixed results at the helm in the Caribbean. These five games may not be entirely indicative of the future of the Indian team, but they will offer some enlightening clues.They’ll also serve as an early audition for an event of far greater consequence to India: their trip to South Africa at the end of the year. India’s preparations for that tour also include a visit by the A side to South Africa in August. Despite the modesty of the opposition there’s ample reason for the visitors to take these games seriously.For their own part, Zimbabwe will be happy with the chance to test themselves against quality opponents, and also ease some financial pressures with the tour likely to turn a profit thanks to the lucrative television rights deals that India bring with them. Indeed, after the paucity of international fixtures last year, Zimbabwe are proving a far more popular destination in 2013 with Pakistan and Sri Lanka both visiting before the end of the year.The Zimbabweans also won’t have forgotten India’s last tour in 2010, when an inexperienced touring group battled to compete with either the hosts or Sri Lanka in the tri-series and failed to make the final. Zimbabwe’s squad has been training together for more than two months to prepare for these ODIs, and it’s possible that they could register a rare win against elite opposition in one or two of the matches. The series opener could well be their best chance to do that.

Form guide

(most recent first, last five completed games)
India WWWLL
Zimbabwe WWLLL

In the spotlight

It’s hard to believe it’s taken this long for Cheteshwar Pujara to force his way into ODI contention for India, considering his eye-catching short format statistics – he averages 56.97 in List A cricket, with eight hundreds. Pujara has taken to Test cricket with instinctual ease, and if he moves as naturally into ODIs, his presence in the middle order could add significantly to Zimbabwe’s worries.Where Pujara’s statistics immediately and obviously mark him out as a successful batsman, Sikandar Raza‘s don’t, at first glance, suggest a rare talent. But his laidback, friendly attitude belies a fierce dedication to the game, and Raza has earned his place in this team. He averaged 52.40 in the List A season leading to his debut against Bangladesh in May, but his results during that tour were modest and he’ll be keen to make an impact.

Team news

Zimbabwe are picking from a fully-fit 17-man squad, and coach Andy Waller confirmed that Ray Price is, in fact, in the group, but it’s unlikely he’ll play in the opening match. The host’s nets session on Monday also suggested a settled top six, but there are nine bowlers bottlenecking into four slots down the order. A balanced attack seems the most sensible option, and Tinotenda Mutombodzi looked the best of the spinners during training.Zimbabwe (likely): 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Sikandar Raza, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Brendan Taylor (capt & wk), 5 Malcolm Waller, 6 Sean Williams, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Tinotenda Mutombodzi, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Brian VitoriLike Zimbabwe, India’s scope for experimentation – at least in the series opener – is in their bowling group. Amit Mishra’s experience will be valuable to the young attack, while the combination of Vinay Kumar and Jaydev Unadkat would add variety. The most open position is that vacated by R Ashwin at No. 8, and offspinning allrounder Parvez Rasool could be in line to become the first player from India’s Kashmir valley to represent the national side.India (likely): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Parvez Rasool , 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Vinay Kumar, 11 Jaydev Unadkat

Pitch and conditions

Winters in Zimbabwe are cold and dry and usually the pitches reflect this, favouring spin over seam and playing a little on the slow side. The track for Wednesday’s game has been very well watered, however, and the groundstaff have left some grass on it to negate the potential for drying and crumbling. New ball bowlers may well profit in the first hour, with the games due to start somewhat early at 9am, but the wicket should have the pace to allow for shot-making.

Stats and trivia

• Despite some notable successes, such as at the 1999 World Cup, Zimbabwe have only beaten India in 10 out of the 51 ODIs they’ve played against them since 1983.
• The first obstacle for Zimbabwe’s bowlers in a daunting Indian batting line-up will be the opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, who average 57.72 in partnership and have put together three century stands.
• Of Zimbabwe’s current batsmen, captain Brendan Taylor has by far the best record against India in ODIs, with 184 runs at 46 against them in four games.

Quotes

“Our top six are quite settled, and I’d like to think they know they’re in that position, but we’ve obviously got a spare batter sitting waiting to move in. But I think they’ll have a decent run.”
.

Sidelined for six matches during a key phase in Lancashire’s promotion push, Paul Horton been prolific since his comeback and may now have played the innings that all but secures their return to Division One.

Myles Hodgson at Old Trafford12-Sep-2013
ScorecardPaul Horton went through to his highest score of the season•Getty Images

There must have been times this summer when Paul Horton wondered when he would ever play another Championship match after a lengthy absence with a finger injury. Sidelined for six matches during a key phase in Lancashire’s promotion push, he has been prolific since his comeback and may now have played the innings that all but secures their return to Division One.Having dislocated his right ring finger fielding earlier in the season, Horton, the 30-year-old opener, required surgery to have it pinned back into place only to suffer another setback when he dislocated it again on his return for Lancashire second XI. But frustrating as that spell on the sidelines was, it appears to have given him a new impetus and his unbeaten 150 on the second day against Leicestershire has taken his tally to 362 runs in only six innings.This current effort, spanning over six hours at the crease and including 22 fours, was his 17th first-class century. Leading the side in the absence of Glen Chapple with hamstring problems, Horton also became the first Lancashire captain to score a century since Stuart Law hit an unbeaten 158 against Sussex at Hove in 2008.”It’s the first time in my career I’ve really missed any cricket,” he said. “I’d played a lot of first-class games in a row for Lancashire since 2007, so to miss cricket was a disappointment for me. It’s nice to be back and I just think I’m in a stage where I’m quite happy with the way I’m playing.”I’m 30 and probably in the best years as a batsman to score my runs, so I’m just finally converting innings into hundreds and that’s what it’s all about. I’ve only got a small window of opportunity to score some runs at the back end of the season and I’m making every innings count.”At the start of this round of matches, Lancashire knew they needed 18 points to secure promotion at the first time of asking, but with third-placed Essex dropping points in their match against Kent it has given the Division Two leaders a simple equation – win their current match to achieve their pre-season objective.It may need some clever and forceful cricket to secure that victory after bad light ended play 16 overs prematurely when the floodlights took over from the natural light, but Lancashire now know they are very close to making amends for last summer’s relegation.A contributory factor in the success this summer has been Horton’s flourishing partnership with Luis Reece at the top of the order. Their 137-run stand was their third century partnership in six innings and provided the foundation for a solid Lancashire batting performance, albeit against a Leicestershire side ravaged by injuries and forced to field a line-up with an average age of just 23 with only one player – Niall O’Brien – over 30.Resuming overnight on 92 without loss after rain washed out all but 21 overs on the opening day, Lancashire’s solidity at the top of the order was such that it was almost a surprise when Reece drove seamer Oliver Freckingham to second slip for 50, his seventh successive half-century. His annoyance at a missed opportunity was evident as he sloped off and his mood will not have improved once he is informed he has equalled a County Championship record for the most consecutive 50s without reaching three figures, matching the seven recorded by William Burns for Worcestershire in 1906.Ashwell Prince would be equally annoyed at missing out against such an attack, prodding Ben Raine to first slip while Simon Katich, playing his last match for Lancashire before disappearing to captain Perth Scorchers in the Champions League T20, appeared in a hurry to catch a plane in racing to 56 off 62 balls before giving left-arm spinner James Sykes a deserved wicket when he was brilliantly caught one-handed at slip by Greg Smith.Sykes added a second when he found extra turn and bounce from the Pavilion End and induced Andrea Agathangelou into edging behind for a scratchy 46 only five balls before umpires David Millns and George Sharp called a premature halt to the day.