Cricket: Leicestershire thrive on spirit: Rob Steen on the rising stock at Grace Road as a county resumes the hunt for more trophies

BACK in April, anyone offering more than a fig for Leicestershire's prospects of restocking the Grace Road trophy cabinet would have been greeted with scorn. After all, if they could not do it under Bobby Simpson, let alone with David Gower, Phil DeFreitas and Chris Lewis on call, what chance now?

Yet today Nigel Briers and his relatively anonymous men entertain Essex in the semi-finals of the NatWest Trophy. Despite a blip since beating the champions last month, they also occupy fifth place in the Championship, a flattering position perhaps but no less worthy for that.

The principal factor in this unexpected revival, arguably, has been the absence of Simpson, the coach whose partnership with Allan Border has been at the hub of Australia's recent successes yet whose two years at Grace Road inspired little more than rancour. Indeed, if Simpson had got his way, David Millns might now be signing on instead of signing batsmen's death warrants.

As manager, Simpson turned out to be a poor alternative to the original choice, Ray Illingworth, who had led the county to five titles in the 1970s, including their first Championship. Accustomed to dealing with a liner-load of world-class players rather than a raft of journeymen, he undermined the confidence of his new charges by comparing them with the likes of Border or himself. As a psychological ploy it left much to be desired. Mike Turner, the Leicestershire chief executive and longstanding friend, clashed with Simpson on numerous occasions.

By September 1990, Winston Benjamin, owner of eight West Indian caps yet chided for what Simpson, a fitness fanatic, perceived as laziness, had had enough. Plagued by a knee injury, and even more by disillusionment, he announced his retirement and went back to Antigua to relocate his enthusiasm. Had John Maguire, Leicestershire's Player of the Year for 1991, not opted to remain in Queensland to pursue his business interests when half-way through a two-year contract, Benjamin would not have returned. Had Simpson been re-engaged any reunion would have been out of the question.

James Whitaker, the club's vice- captain and middle-order batsman, feels that the problem was Simpson's lack of understanding of the difference between Test and county cricket. 'In Test cricket you have three or four days build-up; in county cricket you are at it seven days a week. There's no time for specific work. You can't treat it like Test cricket because it's more of a grind. Where's the psych-up time? There isn't any. What rankled a few was how Simpson was trying to alter their minds to peak every day, which is impossible.'

The modern county cricketer is judged not by his average, but by his average mph. At some clubs the burning issue each April is whether Joe Bloggs gets a gleaming new Astra or last year's Nissan. At Leicestershire, however, a sponsored car is a hole-in-one rather than par for the course.

As Briers' deputy, Whitaker is one of the lucky few. He is also the only member of the Grace Road playing staff to possess an England cap. The use of the singular is correct in more ways than one. In Adelaide in 1986, this aggressive Yorkshire-born batsman had made 11 when he drove at Bruce Reid without due care and attention. The match was comfortably drawn, the Ashes later secured, yet, aside from an England A tour in 1990, it remains Whitaker's last blow for his country. 'If I'd had another 15 Tests after that, and got an extended chance like Gatting and Gooch, who knows?' he wonders, the tone more wistful than bitter.

That Adelaide trial was nevertheless a proud one for Leicestershire, Whitaker, Gower and DeFreitas becoming the first trio from the county to appear together in a Test. Whitaker, though, will be the only one of the three at Grace Road for the Foxes' most important hunt in five seasons.

The last time Leicestershire were having such fun was in 1987. Jon Agnew, who will re-emerge from behind his BBC microphone this morning in the absence of Millns and Vince Wells, was the first Leicestershire bowler to take 100 wickets in a season for 19 years; Gower, for once ignored by England, headed the batting averages; DeFreitas was fresh from a resoundingly successful first tour; Lewis, an old chum of his from Willesden High School, made an auspicious debut.

The upshot, however, was a disappointing third place in the Championship and defeat in the NatWest semi-final against Northants. Whitaker top-scored that day only to be run out in the pivotal moment of the match when a tailender spurned an easy single with his partner stranded. If this was typical of Whitaker's lot, the Case of the Deadly Salt-Shaker (chief suspects Agnew and DeFreitas) summed up the internal divisions that prevented the county from capitalising on its assets throughout the 1980s.

Gower, Agnew, DeFreitas and Lewis have all since found more lush pastures, leaving behind a squad short on obvious quality but long on community spirit. The change, Whitaker believes, has been beneficial. 'Everyone has played a part. We have no individual superstars. Energies are being channelled in a collective situation. Everyone is on an equal footing. There are no particular egos as there were in the 1980s. The side was a bloody good one when I came in. We won the B and H in 1985, but we should have won more and that had a lot to do with it.'

In playing terms, the resurgence has stemmed largely from an incisive seam attack, supported by the prehensile slip catching of Justin Benson among others. Millns has been the mainspring, making a belated thrust for international recognition at 27 with 68 first-class victims, the most by an Englishman.

'Fortunately,' Whitaker said, 'the fast bowlers have had some helpful wickets to bowl on and they've all stayed fit. David has bowled very well but with Benji at the other end people are more willing to have a go at you.'

Since Simpson's departure last September, according to Whitaker, the mood has brightened considerably, and the results reflect this. Once, the whole was less than the sum of its parts; as with all the better teams, it is now some way greater.