A Proteas-inspired riposte prevented Middlesex from wrapping up a three-day win at Southgate where Leicestershire, following-on 235 runs behind, fought back through former Test batsmen HD Ackerman and Boeta Dippenaar.

Capitulation appeared on the cards once Leicestershire, batting again by 2.15pm and having given up their last five first-innings wickets for 97 runs, lost Matthew Boyce leg before to Tim Murtagh to the fifth ball of their second innings.

But the Foxes proved their willingness for the fight by battling through to stumps on 177 for two with Ackerman on 45 and Dippenaar with 85.

Though hugely admirable, Leicestershire's policy of playing eight England-qualified players in their side this summer could lead to a few heavy championship defeats along the way, although the strategy might also unearth potential English Test players.

While South Africans Ackerman and Dippenaar saved Leicestershire from an ignominious three-day reverse, it was a fluent, two-hour stay in their first innings by Oakham School prodigy Joshua Cobb that probably saved them from an even heavier innings defeat.

The youngest ever first-class centurion at Lord's, having hit 148 against Middlesex last summer when aged 18 years and five days, Cobb looked equally comfortable at the north London outground in second-top-scoring with a fluent 60.

He was indeed unfortunate to go when a skimming drive was caught low by Steve Finn at mid-on.

Despite a painful 69-ball innings of nine by James Taylor that included 63 minutes without a run, Cobb's demise sparked a Leicestershire collapse that saw them lose their last five wickets in 23 overs. Finn proved their arch tormentor with three for 56, while workhorse Alan Richardson and occasional leg-spinner Dawid Malan bagged two apiece.

Batting again, Boyce completed a miserable game when he was snared leg before by Tim Murtagh when half forward, then Leicestershire's headaches worsened when first-innings top-scorer Tom New (43) nicked to slip off Shaun Udal.

The visitors were still trailing by 154 runs overall when Ackerman and Dippenaar came together, but the pair played out the remaining 35 overs in the day to add an unbroken 96 for the third wicket.