Aussie county skip left 99 overnight in top-table duel
Victoria's Peter Handscomb is one run from his 28th century in his 200th first-class match. (Russell Freeman/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP
Former Australian Test batter Peter Handscomb was left on 99 not out as play closed on the first day of the local derby promotion battle between English midlands counties Leicestershire and Derbyshire.
The Victorian is Leicestershire captain and he has led the unfashionable county to the summit of the County Championship's second division - with neighbours Derbyshire second.
Hosts Derbyshire made a superb start, dismissing their visitors to 2-0 with Kiwi quick Blair Tickner picking up one of the wickets.
But Leicestershire responded like champions. England allrounder Rehan Ahmed made 115, his third consecutive hundred in the competition, before falling to a fine running catch at midwicket by Australian Caleb Jewell.
Ahmed had added 169 with Lewis Hill who went on to make an unbeaten 132 himself.
Hill and Handscomb shared an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 188 to leave Leicestershire 3-357 with three days to play.
Handscomb, who is playing his 200th first-class match, reached 50 off 84 balls, and got to 90 off 140 balls and has since spent 23 balls in the 90s.
With Hill taking a single off the first ball of the day's last over he had five balls to score the two he needed for his 28th first-class hundred, but could only take a single off the fifth ball.
The 34-year-old, who played the last of his 20 Tests in India in 2023, will resume in the morning aiming to lead Leicestershire to a commanding total before Jewell has the chance to lead the home side's response.
Elsewhere in Division Two Wes Agar took 3-29 as bottom-of-the-table Kent looked to get back into the game after being dismissed for 154 by Glamorgan. The Welsh county closed on 4-125.
Marcus Harris made 29 in Lancashire's 6-290 against Cameron Bancroft's Gloucestershire.
In the top flight Beau Webster went straight back into the Warwickshire side after returning from Australia's Test matches in the West Indies. With Worcestershire electing to bat the allrounder was limited to bowling and took the key wicket of visiting skipper Basil D'Oliveira for 57 as the home team made 8-262.
Surrey's long-serving Australian opening bowler Dan Worrell, an outside bet to play for England in the Ashes as he is now eligible, took 3-49 at Scarborough as Yorkshire made 4-282. That took his season's tally to 22 at under 24 apiece.
At 34, like Handscomb, his chance is probably gone, but he is closing in on 400 first-class wickets and the Victorian knows Australian conditions well.
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