| Specsavers County Championship Division Two, The County Ground, Northampton (day three): |
| Northamptonshire 299: Wakely 65; Wright 4-78 |
| Leicestershire 273-7: Azad 92, Cosgrove 63 |
| Leicestershire (5 pts) trail Northants (4 pts) by 26 runs |
| Scorecard |
Hassan Azad fell eight runs short of a third century in successive Championship innings as Leicestershire ended 273-7 on day three against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
The 25-year-old scored 92 to follow up hundreds in each innings of the Foxes’ draw against Gloucestershire last week.
Mark Cosgrove added 63, sharing a third-wicket stand of 115 with Azad.
However, a collapse of four wickets for 13 runs with the new ball put Northants on course for a first-innings lead.
The visitors, who resumed on 6-0 after day two’s washout, progressed patiently in reply to Northants’ 299 all out.
Pakistan-born left-hander Azad spent more than five hours at the crease before clipping a Luke Procter delivery to Matt Coles at square leg.
Both sides have drawn four of their Division Two matches this season and, despite the efforts of Procter (2-37) and Ben Sanderson (2-54) before bad light brought an early finish, a fifth stalemate looks the most likely outcome.
