Harris weathers English spring to shine brightly

Australian opener Marcus Harris maintained his concentration through lengthy rain delays to score an unbeaten 77 for Leicestershire in their Vitality County Championship encounter with midlands rivals Derbyshire.

It was a typical early spring day at Derby where in addition to the rain, the conditions were also chilly and breezy.

Not that the weather was going to trouble Harris, the Perth-born 31-year-old who has rejoined Leicestershire to replace Will Pucovski for their first five matches of the new season after his fellow Victoria batter suffered concussion in a Sheffield Shield match.

Harris, a former Ashes batter who has made 14 Test appearances for Australia, was dropped twice after Derbyshire elected to bowl first at the County Ground.

Derbyshire also put down Rishi Patel who made 36 before he was bowled by New Zealand fast bowler Blair Tickner, who was the pick of the home attack. Although 50 overs were lost, Leicestershire made good progress and closed on 168-2.

Harris had made only one when he edged Tickner to second slip but Wayne Madsen put down a shoulder high chance. Then, three overs into the afternoon session, Harris, on 26, edged Anuj Dal low to Madsen, who again failed to cling on.

Harris was six short of his fifty when the rain returned for a second time and kept the players off the field until 5.30pm. But the rest of a truncated day belonged to Harris, who scored freely in the closing overs to make it the visitors’ day.