Seven-wicket haul to Charlie Morris leads Worcestershire to victory
Bowler runs through Lancashire line-up before lunch on final day
ECB Reporters Network
14-Apr-2019
Worcestershire bowler Charlie Morris in action • PA Photos
Worcestershire 553 for 6 dec (Rutherford 123, Mitchell 114, Cox 100*, Barnard 53*) beat Leicestershire 302 (Javid 69, Cosgrove 67, Tongue 4-46) and 233 (Ackermann 69, Taylor 57, Azad 54, Morris 7-45) by an innings and 18 runs
A seven-wicket haul to Charlie Morris has led Worcestershire to an emphatic victory by an innings and 18 runs over Leicestershire on the final day's play of their County Championship match.
Worcestershire needed just one session to take the six wickets required to complete a maximum-point victory at the Fischer County Ground, Grace Road, with Morris adding his first-class career-best 7-45 to his 1-48 from the first innings.
Seamer Morris had dismissed Ateeq Javid, Paul Horton and Mark Cosgrove on day three to reduce the Foxes to 31 for 3 in their second innings after acting Worcestershire captain Ben Cox had decided to bowl again, having dismissed them for 302 in their first innings, a deficit of 251.
Leicestershire resumed on 132-4, still needing another 119 runs to make Worcestershire bat again, and the end appeared nigh when they lost three more wickets in adding just three runs to their overnight score.
Nightwatchman Chris Wright lost his middle stump to a Josh Tongue delivery which came back and stayed low, Harry Dearden his leg stump to a ball from Morris which swung back in to the left-hander, and Lewis Hill edged his second ball, also from Morris, to wicketkeeper Cox to leave Leicestershire on 135-7.
Tom Taylor, whom Leicestershire regard as a genuine all-rounder, gave Colin Ackermann solid support as South African Ackermann raised his half-century. The pair had added 59 for the eighth wicket when former Derbyshire all-rounder Ross Whitely, bowling for the first time in the match, had Ackermann caught behind flashing at a delivery pushed across him for 69.
Ben Mike did not last long, caught at third slip by Tom Fell off Morris. Taylor continued to bat with aplomb, reaching 57 before top-edging a pull at Morris and being caught at deep midwicket by Whitely.
