Leicestershire 110 (Pennington 4-36, Waite 3-24) and 114 for 7 (Pennington 3-25) need 124 runs to beat Worcestershire 178 and 169 (Libby 67, Wright 4-44)

Libby is one of those county cricketers who knows his game intimately, exploits his strengths carefully and rarely lets his team down. His 67 off 114 balls is the highest innings of this match so far and you might get the Nicaraguan national debt on that remaining the case. It was full of the controlled edges and stock-in-trade opener's nudges that have enabled Libby to average nearly fifty in his 41 first-class games for Worcestershire since his move from Nottinghamshire. More significantly in the context of this vital match at Doncaster Close, it helped his side build on a 68-run first-innings lead and challenge Leicestershire to score 238 to win.

Libby and Adam Hose added another 25 runs in the afternoon session before there was another clatter of wickets. Some were the result of good bowling: Libby was caught behind for 67 off one that nipped away from Mulder. Others were the consequence of brain-fazed batting: Joe Leach was run out attempting two runs only Frankel would have coasted and Josh Baker cut Matt Salisbury to Rishi Patel at deep point. Once again, Worcestershire supporters were grateful that their last-wicket pair, in this case Pennington and Tongue, could add 24 runs for the last wicket, for far too many cricketers have based their shot selection on what they feared the pitch would do rather than its actual performance.

Indeed, rather too much criticism has been vented on this Oakham wicket and indirectly on the head groundsman, Richard Dexter. True, the surface was very difficult on the first day, largely because it had been under cover for most of the previous five to protect it from the rain. However, when the sun got to work on it this morning, it played a little more easily and a few dismissals were caused as much by suspicion as reality.

That was what made Libby's innings such a fine effort although his strokes might not have brought any comfort to Benno and Stench. Two of Leicestershire's most loyal supporters, and particularly vocal on T20 nights at Grace Road, the pair established a base camp suitably close to the Social Science building on the first day of this game. From that vantage point, they saw Worcestershire subside quite slowly, which will have pleased them, and then Leicestershire collapse like disappointed divas on an awards evening, which will have brought them no such delight. Today's cricket followed a similar pattern so maybe it was propitious that their banner was missing as the wickets tumbled, the batters grumbled and the uncomprehending crocodiles approached the sightscreen.