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University opted to put Leicestershire in and found themselves at the receiving end of fierce competition for batting places in the champions' side.

Their old foe from Oxford, Iain Sutcliffe, who could not find a place when he joined Leicestershire at the end of term last year despite an average of 45.33 for the university, made a well-composed 99 and with Aftab Habib, who remained unbeaten with 169, put on 168 for the second wicket.

Sutcliffe had topped 50 in all his three previous encounters with the Light Blues without getting a hundred.

The left-hander looked certain to correct this omission yesterday when a leg-break from Rob Jones, whose principal trade is purveying off-breaks, spun in from the rough and hit the off stump, ending an innings of 155 minutes which contained nine fours, struck with stately drives, and a six.

Habib, who came in with the innings well founded by Vince Wells - who was out to a brilliant gully catch - and Sutcliffe batted exuberantly from the start, striking hefty blows off both the front and back foot to reach his hundred off 146 balls. Darren Stevens, a debutant, batted pleasantly to score 27 off 34 balls and after he departed, the burly Jonathan Dakin bludgeoned a wilting attack to contribute 88 to an unfinished stand of 152.

Although Leicestershire prospered, their cricket manager, Jack Birkenshaw, was a worried man.

Finding a replacement for Phil Simmons, who has been kept away by his commitments with the West Indies, has not been easy.

He had a favourable response initially from the South African all-rounder, Lance Klusener, who then changed his mind, saying that he felt too tired after completing a long home season.