Preview: Leicestershire v Lancashire LVCC

Following a last-gasp victory against Leicestershire in the Natwest T20 Blast, Lancashire hope to return to winning ways in the County Championship as they travel to Grace Road.

Leicestershire are widely known as the whipping boys of the four-day game and have not won a Championship fixture in their last 36 attempts, although they do seem to be on the right track after a number of shrewd acquisitions this winter.

Lancashire were beaten in their last Championship match at home to Gloucestershire after a fourth-innings collapse, but the good news for the visitors is that club captain Tom Smith has been named in a 13-man squad by Ashley Giles, as he aims to make a return following a back injury.

Surrey inflicted a demoralising defeat on Leicester in their last four-day outing, chasing 216 runs in just over 20 overs to record what will surely be known as one of the most memorable victories of the season, a match which was also dominated by one Kevin Pietersen for his innings of 355 not out.

The visitors are top of Division Two and will be in high spirits despite the defeat to Gloucester, as they take a small psychological advantage into this fixture after Steven Croft's superb knock yesterday in the first round of T20 games at Old Trafford.

Although Leicestershire proved to be a worthy adversary in white-ball cricket, they have been the laughing stock of English cricket for some time now and Lancashire's recent history against the midlands outfit makes impressive reading. The Red Rose have recorded six wins in their last nine Championship encounters between the two sides, losing just once in that time.

Lancashire must start to find form with the ball without the pace and ferocity of Peter Siddle, who has set sail for Australia's up and coming tour of the West Indies, before facing England in the Ashes this summer.

Team news: 

Luis Reece is absent from the side after breaking his hand in a dressing room incident. This has, however, given Karl Brown the opportunity to play a part, as well as a possible reintroduction for all-rounder, Luke Procter. It will be interesting to see who opens the batting with Paul Horton in Reece's absence, but Lancashire have plenty of options.

Reece will not be available for a while after
breaking his hand.

Seamers Tom Bailey and Nathan Buck have both struggled to hold down their role as the third seamer and it will be interesting to see which of them plays a part, although Buck would be useful given that he took 42 wickets for Leicestershire last season on a ground that he knows well. The Red Rose are also without Australian Siddle for the first time this season in the four-day campaign.

Lancashire 13-man team: Tom Smith (c), Tom Bailey, Karl Brown, Nathan Buck, Jordan Clark, Steven Croft, Alex Davies (w/k), Paul Horton, Kyle Jarvis, Simon Kerrigan, Alviro Petersen, Luke Procter, Ashwell Prince

Ben Raine is the only omission from Leicestershire's trip to The Oval.

Leicestershire 13-man team: Mark Cosgrove (c), Ned Eckersley, Ollie Freckingham,  Lewis Hill, Jigar Naik, Niall O'Brien (w/k), Neil Pinner, Sam Robson, Charlie Shreck, Rob Taylor, Tom Wells.

Key players:

Paul Horton is in brilliant form in four-day cricket, accumulating 364 runs in his last five innings for Lancashire and his recent success is exactly what the visitors will need to take an early advantage at Grace Road. The Lancashire opener will have a new batting partner with Reece being injured, but his record against Leicestershire is something he hopes will continue in this fixture.

Horton made 157 against Gloucestershire last week and was responsible for the last score of 150 or more by a Lancashire opener in this format, when he scored 156 against Leicestershire at Old Trafford in 2013. Horton was absent from the Lightning's first T20 match of the campaign, serving a two-match ban for dissent shown in the final last year, but his four-day pedigree has been encouraging after an indifferent start to the season.

Ned Eckersley is one of the few successful cricketers at Leicestershire not to have been snatched by another county, as was the case with Buck's move to Lancashire over the winter. Only James Vince has scored more runs in the second division since the start of the 2013 season than Eckersley and the 25-year-old's accumulation of 2,543 runs in that time is testimony to how valuable he is to Leicestershire in a period where some of their most talented prospects have been lifted by counties such as Nottinghamshire.

In Leicestershire's recent defeat against Surrey, Eckerlsey recorded a second-innings century as he spearheaded the rearguard action on the final day in the capital. He also made a half-century in the first innings and his early season form shows no sign of wavering after scoring 29 in 14 balls against Lancashire yesterday evening in the T20 Blast.

Match information:

Weather and conditions: It is due to be dry but by no means warm on the first day of the game and so batting could be difficult in the first session at Grace Road. Rain is more likely to creep in later on in the game but the weather is a little unpredictable after the first day, with a mixture of sunshine and showers sweeping over the ground. For a full forecast click here.

Time: 11.00am

Ground: Grace Road

Umpires: Martin Bodenham and O'Shaughnessy

Match odds (SkyBet): Leicestershire 7/4, Lancashire 2/5.