Leicestershire slide despite Hoggard hat-trick

Matthew Hoggard claimed the third hat-trick of his career but then saw his Leicestershire side throw away the advantage with some poor batting on the second day of the County Championship game against Glamorgan at Grace Road. Glamorgan were bundled out for 146 to give Leicestershire a useful first-innings lead of 92, but the home side failed to capitalise as they struggled through to 78 for 5 by the close to leave the match evenly balanced on a pitch offering encouragement for both the seamers and the spinners.

Glamorgan's innings was a one-man show with their new captain and opener Alviro Petersen scoring 91 before being last man out. The South African struck seven fours and two sixes in his 165-ball innings to show the pitch was not quite the minefield many of the other batsmen had made it look on a day when 16 wickets fell for 231 runs.

Ben Wright and Robert Croft were Glamorgan's next highest scorers with 11 runs apiece after Hoggard had wrecked their top order with his hat-trick spell. He had Gareth Rees caught behind off the fifth ball of his sixth over of the morning, trapped Will Bragg lbw with the next delivery and then saw Will Jefferson take a superb catch at slip to remove Michael Powell with the first ball of his next over.

It was the first hat-trick by a Leicestershire bowler since Javagal Srinath performed the feat against Surrey at The Oval in 2002 and the first at Grace Road since Winston Benjamin did it against Australia in 1989. The last Championship hat-trick at Grace Road was by George Ferris in 1983.

Glamorgan then were 38 for 3 and wickets continued to tumble on a regular basis as left-arm spinner Claude Henderson followed up his innings of 80 not out in Leicestershire's total of 238 with a three-wicket haul. He removed Croft, Graham Wagg and Dean Cosker to finish with 3 for 32, with only Petersen offering any resistance as the visitors collapsed.

The Glamorgan captain batted superbly until finally pulling a catch off Nathan Buck to Henderson having made 91. But Leicestershire were soon in trouble themselves with the first three batsmen falling for 36 runs in the opening 17 overs.

Matthew Boyce was bowled offering no shot to a delivery from Wagg who also had Jacques Du Toit caught at second slip. Adam Shantry then took James Taylor's wicket before Cosker struck twice, dismissing both Gregg Smith and Tom New for ducks to leave Leicestershire at 43 for 5. It took a solid unbeaten 48 from Jefferson to see them through to the close when they held a lead of 170.