Callum Parkinson crushes Gloucestershire with second five-wicket haul

Leicestershire crushed group leaders Gloucestershire by an innings and 93 runs as a one-sided LV=Insurance County Championship match ended before tea on the third day with Gloucestershire bowled out for 200 following on.

At 5 for 1 overnight, they slipped to 31 for 5 inside the first hour before Ian Cockbain and Jonny Tattersall held up the home side in a defiant stand that lasted two hours and 20 minutes, both making half-centuries in adding 119.

But Player of the Match Callum Parkinson eventually dismissed both in quick succession, Gloucestershire losing their last five wickets for 50 as left-arm spinner Parkinson finished with 5 for 63 for career-best match figures of 10 for 108.

Gloucestershire won four of their first five Group Two matches but have now suffered back-to-back defeats, each by an innings, having been beaten by Surrey in the last round.

The Foxes, who failed to win any of their first six matches but chased down 378 in the fourth innings to beat Middlesex last Sunday, recorded consecutive victories in first-class games for the first time since 2018 and the first back-to-back wins in home matches since 2006.

Leicestershire sensed they could finish the job rapidly as they took four wickets in the first 52 minutes of the day after Gloucestershire resumed, needing to reach 293 just to make the home side bat again.

Chris Wright, getting movement off the seam, had Miles Hammond caught at first slip and Tom Lace behind the stumps in consecutive overs. Parkinson picked up his first of the day when Glenn Phillips, who had been much more watchful than in the first innings, stepped across his stumps in trying to work to leg and was given out leg before, making his unhappiness with the decision obvious to umpire Nick Cook.

Ryan Higgins fell to an unwise slog-sweep to his second that saw him caught at mid-wicket, but Cockbain and Tattersall frustrated Leicestershire until midway through the afternoon session, both hitting seven fours.

Tattersall played well against the spin but eventually edged a slightly wide ball from Parkinson to Colin Ackermann at first slip, and soon afterwards Cockbain reached to defend one outside off stump, falling to a smart, one-handed catch to his left by Ackermann at second slip as Parkinson completed his second five-for in the match.

With his off spin, Ackermann then bowled David Payne and had Tom Smith leg before and, after a brief flourish of big hitting by Dan Worrall and Josh Shaw, bowled Worrall to finish the job.