Date-stamped : 27 Apr97 - 06:17 Measured Mullally discovers the angles By Charles Randall at Leicester First day of four: Leics (99-3) trail Gloucs (245) by 146 runs ALAN MULLALLY helped himself to five gratifying wickets as Leicestershire began the defence of their title with reasonable conviction yesterday. Mullally has in recent years suffered from back trouble, a poisonous spider bite and this time from a skin complaint, which nearly put him out of the Gloucestershire game, but nothing would have been more painful than being dropped by England during last winter`s New Zealand tour. David Lloyd, England`s coach, yesterday saw some typical Mullally county form. The bowler used his left-arm angle well, finding testing sideways movement and hostility without quite the high percentage of stray deliveries that switched his international career into reverse. Yesterday`s success was evocative of the opening game at Derby last year, when his 11 wickets for the champions accounted for the eventual runners-up. A sparsely attended Grace Road managed something akin to a festive atmosphere before the start with a title- pennant presentation and the raising of the champion county flag. The public address wished David Lawrence well - prematurely, because Gloucestershire`s former England fast bowler did not actually play - and David Millns produced a second false start by aborting the day`s first ball. After that, seam bowling, the huddles and an abysmal over rate dominated the day, though a couple of hours of left- handed strokeplay from Shaun Young, Gloucestershire`s Australian, and Jack Russell, England`s discarded wicketkeeper, brightened the tempo. Young made a good impression, punishing short bowling with time to spare, and he put on 112 at almost four an over with Russell, who could hardly have batted better for 10 fours in a 74-ball fifty. Young escaped with a couple of early miscues and a `chinese cut` against James Ormond, an England Under-19 fast bowler on his championship debut, but then some resounding hooks settled him down for his fifty, in 92 balls. Gloucestershire lurched into a poor start, as shuffling, rusty footwork and fresh-air strokes kept the slip cordon in a constant state of tension. Millns ended the revival by knocking out Russell`s off stump and he had Young held at slip in his next over. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) ==================================>Day 2 Nixon is tricky to dislodge By Charles Randall at Leicester Second day of four: Gloucs (245 & 8-0) trail Leics (307) by 54 runs THAT infernal itch, the last-wicket stand, turned this fluctuating match around and gave Leicestershire a surprise advantage at Grace Road yesterday. Paul Nixon and James Ormond stroked 101 for the champions just when it seemed that Gloucestershire, rank outsiders for the title, had achieved a cheeky parity. Gloucestershire scratched at the irritation for two hours with no relief until Mike Smith bent one through Ormond`s defence in the third over after the tea break in very gloomy light. David Lloyd, England`s coach, had had a good look at Darren Maddy`s undoubted class, but he was detained, huddled in a suitably thick overcoat with a pipe of American Black Cherry, watching the remnant of Leicestershire`s innings canter defiantly towards the evening chill. Maddy, who was elevated to The Rest status against England A last week, more than hinted at top-grade potential, timing the ball crisply and punching some lovely fours off his legs, but Nixon, a wicketkeeper candidate, impressed with his Russellesque obduracy for 77 not out. Gloucestershire`s array of seamers made progress awkward, but Maddy looked fluent enough making 80; it was a surprise when he steered Jonathan Lewis to second slip off the front foot in the last over before lunch. Seventh out, he looked disgusted, but the anticipated demise of Leicestershire`s innings proved far from rapid. Big last-ditch partnerships have become much more common on the circuit in the past couple of seasons - at Old Trafford yesterday, for example - and the reason must be connected with blander pitches and the consequent higher self-esteem among the tail. Ormond, a recent England under-19 player, fancied his championship debut innings. Nixon, on 21 when the ninth wicket fell, stopped farming the bowling quite soon. There were scares, but no chances. If anything, the left-handed Nixon looked the less secure, though he played some rousing pulls and drives as Gloucestershire`s frustration intensified. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)