Essex 13 for 2 trail Leicestershire 238 (Cosgrove 71, Robson 52, Porter 4-50) by 225 runs Scorecard These are puzzling days at Leicestershire.On the face of things, this season has offered impressive improvement. After years among the also runs of the County Championship, here they are in late-August with a realistic chance of promotion. Going into this game, they were second in the table. If that sounds modest, it has to be remembered that they have not played in the top division since 2003 and did not win a single game in this division in 2013 and 2014. The improvement is welcome.The ground has improved, too. There are floodlights, new broadcasting facilities and improved stands. All of it is welcome.But scratch beneath the surface and you are left wondering how deep the roots of this recovery stretch. The only man in this side (Lewis Hill) who could indisputably claim to be home grown was making his first Championship appearance of the season and none of the top four were born in the UK.That is fine, up to a point. The addition of seasoned professionals may well have been required to alter the culture of a club that had become accustomed to losing. Their attitude and experience alongside some local talent could shape the future of the club.But theres the rub. Because the local talent isnt getting a game. Instead Atif Sheikh, a left-arm bowler of rare pace, has been released, Jigar Naik is seemingly sentenced to a future in the seconds, Aadil Ali, about whom there was such hope ahead of the season, hasnt played a first-class game since June and Zak Chappell, a promising fast bowler, here missed out to 27-year-old Dieter Klein, a journeyman South African making his first-class debut for the club who nabbed Alastair Cook as a notable maiden Championship wicket.Of course there is a balance to be struck. Of course young payers cannot be flung into the side without support. Of course in these mobile, multi-cultural times you would expect a team based in a city like Leicester to host players with wildly varied backgrounds. Of course the likes of Angus Robson, who here compiled a patient half-century, could go on to provide years of service for the club and be seen as Leicester through and through.But for five of this team to be born in Australia or South Africa and only one to have progressed through the clubs system suggests that balance has not been found. And for all the talk of embracing the local Asian community, there is no Asian face in the side here and very few in the stands. The two are probably connected.Leicestershire could claim, with some justification, that several players who developed through the club and might be playing for them even now (Stuart Broad, James Taylor, Greg Smith, Harry Gurney and Luke Wright, among others) had larger clubs not enticed them elsewhere. But Essex could say much the same. They have lost Adam Wheater, Reece Topley, Ben Foakes, Tymal Mills, Varun Chopra and Mark Pettini among many others. Yet they still fielded a side containing eight home grown players here.Most of all, Leicestershire could claim that it was always going to take time to turn things around here. So deep was the descent into mediocrity and irrelevance that it was always going to take years to produce a locally resourced, competitive side that reflected its local community. They are not so far into the rebuilding process that a judgement can yet be made as to its effectiveness.It would have been nice to put these points to the clubs head coach, but Andrew McDonald declined the interview request until the end of the match. Perhaps Leicestershire are happy with an attendance of 800 (their highest Championship gate of the season) and the absence of independent coverage? Or perhaps the club are reluctant to put McDonald into a tricky position while his future remains uncertain. Despite having a contract with the club until the end of 2018, rumours linking him with a full-time return to Australia continue. He has already taken the Melbourne Renegades position; the Victoria role remains open. Some well-placed sources expect an announcement within days.And it needs to be asked how much have Leicestershire really improved under him? Or have they just plugged the holes with imports? Are they really any different now to the side that was ridiculed for filling itself with Kolpak registrations? If they are going to fulfil a role for English cricket - and they have a fine history of doing just that - they have to grow their own or improve those who were unloved elsewhere. In two or three of this side - Ned Eckersley, Robson and Ben Raine - they have such players. But there is a huge amount of room for improvement.They didnt have a bad day here. Put in on a green track that had been used for a previous Championship match, they found themselves on a hat-trick in the first over from Jamie Porter. Paul Horton played around one that may have nipped in and Neil Dexter was caught on the crease by an inswinger.But Mark Cosgrove and Robson added 129, with Robson showing admirable patience - he scored three from his first 38 deliveries - and Cosgrove feasting on anything on his legs to provide the foundations of a decent score on what Leicestershire say they hope is a result wicket.Both were troubled by the pace of Graham Napier. Still able to coax life out of a slow pitch even a few weeks from retirement, Napier produced a bouncer that took Cosgroves glove and ballooned just over Cooks head in the slips - Cook appeared to get a hand to the chance but could not cling on - and eventually defeated Robson with a fuller ball that seemed to surprise him with pace. It was the eighth time this season Robson had made a half-century but he has been unable to convert any of them into a century.Pettini was bowled leaving one that nipped back before Eckersley saw the ball dribbled off his bat and onto his stumps as he dropped his hand on an off-break from Tom Westley. By the time Cosgrove was bowled by a lovely, swinging yorker - his attempt to whip it through midwicket resulted in a lost middle stump - he was only four short of 1,000 Championship runs for the season.Leicestershire also enjoyed a couple of early wickets in reply. Cook, playing his sixth Championship match of the season with a view to helping top-of-the-table Essex secure promotion, was bowled by a full, swinging ball that clipped his off stump, before the nightwatchman, Porter, was adjudged - somewhat unfortunately, it appeared - to have been given out caught behind off the glove.So their promotion hopes remain alive. But, long term, you wonder what progress has really been made with this team. Balenciaga Discount Outlet . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. Discount Balenciaga Shoes . The 31-year-old Spain midfielder hasnt played since Madrid lost in the Copa del Rey final to Atletico Madrid in May due to back and foot injuries. http://www.discountbalenciaga.com/ . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Balenciaga Shoes Cheap Sale . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. Balenciaga Shoes Sale Online . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield. MILWAUKEE -- The Cincinnati Reds used an eight-run sixth inning to turn a close game into a blowout.Eugenio Suarez hit a three-run home run during the outburst and the Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers 11-5 on Saturday night.The Reds had seven hits in the key inning, including two by Joey Votto, and Milwaukee added two errors and a wild pitch by starter Zach Davies (9-5) that led to a run.Votto had four hits and two RBI and Billy Hamilton, Zack Cozart, Adam Duvall, Brandon Phillips, Tucker Barnhart and Suarez each had two hits for the Reds. Cincinnati had 16 hits in the game.Certainly theres a bunch of guys that had big games. Just a lot of good quality at-bats, Reds manager Bryan Price said. These games dont happen often in this sport, going from a 1-0 game to a 9-0 game.Dan Straily (8-6) allowed two runs and 10 hits while striking out six over 5 1/3 innings.You cant let those kind of ballgames slip away from you. They hit some pretty good pitches, Straily said. The offense tonight really carried the team and we did just a good enough job pitching to win the game.Votto raised his average above .300 for the first time this season.The first couple of months were really frustrating. I felt like I dug myself a pretty big hole, Votto said. I still feel like I am coming out of it.Ryan Braun hit a solo homer off Straily in the sixth.Davies, who has emerged as Milwaukees ace, gave up five runs and eight hits in five innings. He entered 4-0 with a 2.31 ERA over his previous six starts and hadnt allowed more than three runs since giving up six on June 30.It went pretty smoothly for the first five, being able to keep them off balance, Daviies said.dddddddddddd. Then it kind of fell apart.Scooter Gennett had four hits for Milwaukee, tying a career high, and Martin Maldonado hit his sixth homer.HISPANIC HERITAGEMilwaukee and Cincinnati wore jerseys with Cerveceros and Los Rojas, respectively, across the front in honor of Hispanic heritage in baseball.KEEPING WATCHAfter Hamilton led off the game with an infield single, Davies tried to pick off the majors leading basestealer six straight times with Votto at the plate. In all, Davies tried to pick Hamilton off 10 times.TRAINERS ROOMBrewers: RHP Junior Guerra played catch for the first time as he works his way back from right elbow inflammation. Guerra has been out since Aug. 8 and is eligible to come off the disabled list on Friday. ... OF Domingo Santana needs at least 20 to 30 minor league at-bats before hes ready to return to the Brewers, manager Craig Counsell said. Santana has been out since June 10 with right elbow soreness. He began a second rehab assignment earlier this week with Class A Wisconsin. An earlier assignment was cut short when Santana again began to experience soreness in the elbow.UP NEXTReds: Cody Reed (0-6, 6.36) will make his first-ever career start against the Brewers. Hes coming off his best start of the season, tossing six shutout innings against St. Louis on Monday.Brewers: Wily Peralta (4-8, 6.38) will make his second start since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs earlier this month. Peralta is 4-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 11 career starts versus the Reds. ' ' '