Leicestershire 387 for 5 (Mulder 147*, Hill 81, Kimber 68, Swindells 58*) vs glamorgan
The South African all-rounder followed his unbeaten 235 in Leicestershire’s club record 756 for 4 against Sussex at Hove with 147 last week as the Foxes – still looking for a first win of the season – closed at 387 for 5.
After Callum Parkinson unsurprisingly chose to hit first to win the toss, Leicestershire was 128 for 1 at lunchtime.
There was enough grass left on the field to give it a green tint, but it posed no danger to the batter and openers Kimber and Rishi Patel were able to progress comfortably from the start with four runs per over before new ball bowlers Michael Neser and Michael Hogan took their first breathers of the day.
David Lloyd broke through almost immediately when he replaced Neser at the Bennett End, giving Patel a second-place lead suggesting there was a swing that could be exploited in damp conditions, although it was the only time in the morning that it an effective weapon.
Kimber had been promoted to opener in place of Hassan Azad, who has four fifty and a hundred to his name this season, but was left out after a first-class duck in Hove, where Kimber booked his first-class century.
Kimber completed his half-century with six over midwicket from Andrew Salter’s off-spin before the swing came back into play after lunch when Hogan, also of the Bennett End, used consecutive balls to clear Kimber and Colin Ackermann, the latter after his best career 277 not out in Hove with a first-baller. The supplies that did the damage were almost identical, they came too late to find a thin rim, Cooke took two regulatory catches.
Mulder survived the hat-trickball, but should have fallen a few overs later at 17 for the Australian. Cooke wiped his notebook by putting one down as he threw himself for the first slip.
Hill helped Mulder keep up the momentum, he passed fifty from 63 balls, but after the fourth wicket pair added 77, Hall was tricked by some extra bounce when he stepped back to cut Salter, who was behind a thin top edge. was caught.
A bonus wicket in the last over before tea, when Joey Evison, the Nottinghamshire player on loan, obligingly hit a first-ball full toss from leg spinner Colin Ingram straight to the fielder at the deep mid-wicket, Glamorgan cheered on, but again they failed to swing the momentum back.
Mulder, who had been strong on both sides of the wicket while mixing skill with strength, completed his century from 117 balls when he knocked Salter halfway over the fielder for his 16th mark.
Hogan, not the Glamorgan bowlers’ pick for the first time in his final season, was again unlucky when Kiran Carlson failed to hold onto a low chance of cover as Mulder stood at 128 shortly after the second new ball was taken. . As it was, Swindells became the fourth batter in Leicestershire to pass fifty and his sixth wicket partnership with Mulder resumes at 137 on Day 2.