Harris' efforts give Leics control of Derbys

Vitality County Championship Division Two, County Ground, Derby ( second day)Leicestershire 574-7 December: Harris 214, Cox 69, Handscomb 68Derbyshire 54-4: Lloyd 40*; Mike 2-14Leicestershire (6 pts) leads Derbyshire (1 pt) by 520 pointsMatch scorecard

Australian opener plundered 214 off 303 balls, the highest score made by a Leicestershire player at the Derby, as the visitors accumulated 574-7 declared on day two of the Division 2 match.

Harris shared a fourth-wicket stand of 153 with fellow Australian Peter Handscomb (68) before Ben Cox launched into a tiring attack with 69 from 76 balls.

Needing 425 to avoid trailing, Derbyshire collapsed to 12-3 and closed a precarious 54-4.

Derbyshire had got the breakthrough they needed with Sam Conners finding the right line for skipper Lewis Hill was caught at second slip, ending a 90-ball 135 stand for the third wicket.

But the wicket they desperately wanted was Harris and they should have dismissed him on 88 when he edged Blair Tickner at first slip where David Lloyd failed to deliver. hang on.

Harris reached his century off 189 balls driving Anuj Dal straight for his 13th four and 150 from 235 balls before Handscomb clipped Alex Thomson for four to complete his 50 before lunch.

Derbyshire took the new ball immediately and after Handscomb pulled Conners for six, he bowled around a full ball from Tickner and was in weight.

Harris was dropped again on 167 when wicketkeeper Brooke Guest failed to take a low chance and he quickly moved on to his double hundred which came from 293 balls and contained 26 fours.

He celebrated this holiday by driving Thomson for six hours...