Hain ton edges Bears nearer to Championship title

Rothesay County Championship, Division One, Edgbaston (day two)

Leicestershire 125 & 55-3: Budinger 43*; Bamber 2-27

Warwickshire 372: Hain 142, Barnard 88; A Patel 3-78

Leicestershire (3 pts) trail Warwickshire (6 pts) by 192 runs

Match scorecard

Sam Hain hit a splendid day two century against relegation-threatened Leicestershire at Edgbaston to keep Warwickshire on course to win a ninth County Championship title.

In seamer-friendly conditions, Hain compiled a highly-skilled 142 from 301 balls - his 21st century in first-class cricket - as the Bears reached 372 to take a substantial first-innings lead of 247.

Hain, who reached his 1,000 first-class runs for the season, for only the second time, was well supported by Ed Barnard who made 88 in a partnership of 165 in 50 overs.

Leicestershire, rolled for 125 first time round, then closed on 55-3 after Bears paceman Ethan Bamber took two more wickets to take his season's tally to 66.

A draw would now be enough to secure the title but the home supporters, who have turned out in force on the first two days, will arrive for the third expecting a fourth to be unnecessary.

Championship titles are constructed on a bedrock of solid sessions interspersed with the occasional spectacular one - and Hain and Barnard's efforts were the epitome of solid.

Resuming on 130-4, already five runs in front, they added 51 without loss in a morning session truncated by bad light.

Hain and Barnard did exactly what their team required, advancing steadily to lay the platform for a big lead and potential innings victory.

The Bears' fifth-wicket pair continued to concentrate hard after lunch until, with the lead already 126, Barnard departed livid with himself at edging a big drive at a wide ball from Ben Green - just 12 shy of a century.

Chris Woakes chipped his second ball to mid-on, but Kai Smith and Manny Suthar enjoyed useful cameos before also falling to the persevering Hull.

They had accompanied the excellent Hain towards his century which was greeted by a standing ovation from the big audience, then Bamber added further useful runs before being bowled by a beauty from Patel.

Even then the Foxes' frustration went on as last pair Hain and Olly Hannon-Dalby added 35.

Leicestershire opener Sol Budinger then came out firing, hitting 43 not out off 36 balls, But Bamber struck twice in three balls, trapping Sheridon Gumbs and then flattening Rishi Patel's off-stump two balls late.

After a bad-light interruption, Woakes then pinned Steve Eskinazi lbw in the gloom to leave Warwickshire maybe only one strong session away from the title.