Nobody noticed the intruders who sneaked out to the middle at Grace Road yesterday, rolling up the benign pitch that Essex had been batting on and replacing it with another terror track for Leicestershire's batsmen. After Essex had cantered to 335, of which James Foster made an untroubled 132 not out, the home side quickly slumped to 59 for seven in the first 27 overs of their second innings.

Then, out of the blue, the eighth-wicket pairing of Nadeem Malik and Claude Henderson added 87 in 17 overs before Malik was caught at mid-wicket off Chris Wright, completing a maiden five-wicket haul for the seam bowler. He quickly added a sixth when he bowled Sam Cliff to secure Essex's first win for four matches.

Bowling a full length, Wright had occasional assistance from the pitch but greater help from Leicestershire's batsmen as he finished with six for 22.

Foster, making his second century in consecutive matches, had earlier reached three figures from 175 balls, adding 128 with Jaik Mickleburgh, 18, who made a lively 60 on his first-class debut.

Leicestershire: First Innings 107 (H D Ackerman 55 not out; D D Masters 5 for 35, R N ten Doeschate 4 for 16)

Second Innings
G P Smith c Foster b Wright 21
J W A Taylor b Masters 2
*P A Nixon lbw b Masters 20
H D Ackerman c Foster b Wright 0
J J Cobb c Gallian b Wright 0
J Allenby c Foster b Ten Doeschate 11
D du Preez c Ten Doeschate b Wright 0
C W Henderson not out 50
M N Malik c Chopra b Wright 41
S J Cliff b Wright 1
M A G Boyce absent hurt 0
Extras (b 2, lb 6) 8
Total (45.3 overs)154

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-29, 3-30, 4-30, 5-51, 6-51, 7-59, 8-146, 9-154.

Bowling: Masters 12-5-28-2; Napier 9-2-43-0; Wright 10.3-3-22-6; Ten Doeschate 9-2-32-1; Phillips 5-1-21-0.

Essex: First Innings (overnight 144-4)
J S Foster not out 132
J C Mickleburgh lbw b Henderson 60
R N ten Doeschate c Nixon b Henderson 11
G R Napier c Allenby b Henderson 12
T J Phillips c Taylor b Henderson 16
C J C Wright lbw b Cliff 0
D D Masters lbw b Henderson 0
Extras (b 14, lb 11, w 5) 30
Total (94 overs) 335

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-18, 3-34, 4-100, 5-228, 6-256, 7-278, 8-327, 9-334.

Bowling: Malik 22-4-84-2; du Preez 21-2-71-1; Cliff 18-3-71-2; Allenby 18-2-45-0; Henderson 15-5-39-5.

Umpires: R A Kettleborough and J F Steele.

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