Morning Report

Another warm and sunny morning welcomed the teams and supporters at Sophia Gardens for a clash between two teams that have come off a win in their previous Rothesay County Championship match. A green but dry pitch was presented to the two captains at toss, and Luke Procter won the toss and decided to bat first, as the hot start to the summer in Britain has finally managed the captains to bat first. 

The captain walked out to bat for Northants with Ricardo Vasconcelos, and Glamorgan players ran in to the field, led by Sam Northeast and boosted by Marnus Labuschagne's presence. Timm van der Gugten took the new ball alongside birthday boy James Harris, who turned 35. The new-ball bowlers bowled with discipline and effort, but could not break the defence of the two Northamptonshire left-handers. Andy Gorvin came in from the River End at the hour mark and took the wicket of Ricardo Vasconcelos, trapping the South African-born left-hander with a leg-side field, forcing him to hit it in the air only to find Asa Tribe at square leg. 

Asitha Fernando and Zain ul Hassan troubled George Bartlett and Luke Procter, but the 2nd wicket partnership managed to find the odd boundary and ease off the pressure. At lunch, Northamptonshire got to 99-1, heading into the break with their noses in front, despite a commendable bowling performance from Glamorgan.

Teatime Report

A stunning afternoon session saw Glamorgan bowlers pick up 6 wickets within a span of 75 minutes. Timm van der Gugten and James Harris resumed their spells right after lunch, and both wasted no time in breaking through the Northants middle-order. George Bartlett was the first to be dismissed, thanks to a sharp catch at second slip by Sam Northeast off the bowling of James Harris. Timm van der Gugten then wasted no time in picking up the wicket of James Sales, and Andy Gorvin ran through the next two wickets. 

Luke Procter was the fourth wicket to go, as the half-centurion edged a leg-side Andy Gorvin delivery to Chris Cooke, who made a low and wide catch look easy with sharp footwork to get to the ball. Another Sam Northeast catch at second slip saw Gorvin pick up his third of the innings, and 50th first-class wicket overall, as Rob Keogh was opened up to a ball which moved away from the batter. Asitha Fernando picked up two wickets after the hour mark in the afternoon session, in a spell that saw the ball move everywhere. T6he Sri Lankan Test cricketer arguably his best spell in the Glamorgan shirt, with the batters failing to tackle his deliveries. 

Shortly before tea, as the Northants 8th wicket partnership was evolving into a successful counter-attacking display, Zain ul Hassan disturbed the stumps of Calvin Harrison, after being close to finding his outside edge a few times. At Tea on Day 1, Northamptonshire 185-8. 

Stumps Report

Glamorgan wasted no time in picking up the final two wickets of Northamptonshire's first innings, bowling them out for 185. However, the visitors pulled things back to an extent, taking three Glamorgan wickets in the final session, including the prized wicket of Marnus Labuschagne. Zain ul Hassan and Asa Tribe looked extremely comfortable in the middle, as the Welsh county were trotting at 46-1. However, Luke Procter's short-ball caused Zain ul Hassan to lose his focus, and chopped it back onto his stumps in an attempt to pull an off-side bowl into the leg-side. 

Marnus Labuschagne did not have a comfortable outing on his return to Cardiff, playing and missing three deliveries before eventually outside edging a Harry Conway delivery into the hands of second slip for 0. The Northants overseas fast bowler also managed to break Asa Tribe's defence, forcing him to play at an away-swinging delivery straight into the hands of Ricardo Vasconcelos at first slip. Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson steadied the ship in the final half-hour, taking Glamorgan home on Day 1 at 82-3, trailing the visitor's first-innings total by 103 runs. 

Morning update

Northants had arrived in Cardiff on the back of a stunning victory over Lancashire which, like Glamorgan’s thrashing of Kent at Canterbury, had been their first of the season. By lunch yesterday the mood in the visitors’ camp was still buoyant as they eased to 99-1 after opting to bat first, but after the interval, they lost 9/80 in the space of 34.3 overs with both Andy Gorvin and Asitha Fernando each claiming three wickets. After dismissing Northants for 185, Glamorgan’s batters also found life difficult on a surface which continued to assist the seamers, with Harry Conway switching to the River End and dismissing both Asa Tribe and Marnus Labuschagne before Glamorgan ended the day on 82-3, still 103 runs in arrears.

Consolidation was clearly at the forefront of the minds of Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson as they resumed batting this morning, again under azure blue skies against Conway and Luke Procter. Carlson began by nurdling the tall Australian to the vacant ropes at third man before captain Northeast drilled his opposite number for an all-run four through mid-off. Carlson then brought up the 100 with a rasping cover drive for four against Conway followed by a pull to the ropes at fine-leg plus another dab to third man against the same bowler.

Northeast continued to watchfully play second fiddle as Justin Broad entered the attack and was crisply on-driven by the home captain before Ben Sanderson returned at the River End and was square-cut for four by Carlson who then completed his fifty from 67 balls by pulling Broad behind square on the leg-side for his eighth boundary. But his assertive innings ended as, on 54, he clipped Sanderson off his legs and was caught at backward square-leg by Saif Zaib.

144-4 saw the arrival of Ben Kellaway who began by square-driving Broad for four as well as doing the same to Sanderson, before pulling him to the ropes at deep square-leg. He then nurdled James Sales for four to third man with Northeast also off-driving Broad besides cover-driving Sales as Glamorgan reached parity in the 50th over.

Four overs later, a languid on-drive by Kellaway against Procter saw Glamorgan to the 200-mark before an exocet-like cover-drive for four against Procter. In the penultimate over of the session, Northeast completed his sober fifty from 120 balls.

Afternoon update

Glamorgan resumed after lunch on 216-4, looking to build their lead as well as garnering batting points. Kellaway began by cutting Calvin Harrison for four, en route to a 62 ball fifty. He celebrated next over with a classical cover drive for four against Ben Sanderson, followed by a laconic on-drive to the ropes against Harrison. Northeast’s cover driven boundary next over against Sanderson brought up the century stand for the fifth wicket.

Glamorgan secured their first bonus point on 250 with Kellaway then cutting Broad for four before effortlessly lofting Harrison over wide long-on for six. He then pulled Broad for four with Northeast drilling Harrison through the covers for four. But the wrist spinner gained revenge next over as, fielding at first slip, he held onto an outside edge from Northeast against Broad.

285-5 saw Chris Cooke make his way to the middle on his 150th appearance in a first-class match and he began with a brace of singles as Kellaway approached what would have been his second successive century but, on 95, he top-edged a cut against Harrison into Lewis McManus’ gloves. Timm van der Gugten then joined Cooke and saw the Welsh county to another batting point.

Cooke then punched Broad off the back foot through extra cover before the new ball was taken as Conway and Sanderson returned to the fray. Van der Gugten twice drove Sanderson for four through the covers before drilling Conway through mid-off to bring up the 350 and another batting point. He repeated the stroke to Conway’s next two deliveries.

Evening Report

Glamorgan resumed after tea on 369-6 and a healthy lead of 184. It immediately became 188 as Cooke punched the first ball of the session from Justin Broad through the covers for four. Timm van der Gugten continued to nonchalantly work the ball around as he reached his fifty with a savage pull for four to mid-wicket against Luke Procter.

With the total on 383-7 Cooke edged Broad to first slip as Andy Gorvin made his way to the middle and began with a single as the lead went past the 200-mark. van der Gugten then played a tennis-like forearm smash to mid-wicket against Broad followed by a nurdle to third man, but after these two boundaries, Broad trapped him l.b.w. for 61.

398-8 saw the arrival in the middle of James Harris and he began with a firm drive through the covers to see his team to another batting point. Gorvin steered Broad through point to further extend the lead with Harris also dabbing Sanderson through point. On 419 Gorvin pulled Conway to fine-leg where Sanderson took a tumbling catch, then next over Asitha Fernando edged Procter to first slip.

Trailing by 239 runs, Ricardo Vasconcelos and Luke Procter began the visitors reply with 14 overs remaining in the day’s quota. Procter began by flicking Harris to square-leg for four before outside-edging him through the gully, but in Harris’ next over Vasconcelos edged him to fourth slip where Asa Tribe took a good low catch.

With George Bartlett as his new partner, Procter flicked Harris to mid-wicket and fine-leg for a pair of fours before drilling him through mid-off. Bartlett also off-drove Harris before Gorvin trapped him l.b.w. Two balls later Harrison departed in identical fashion to the jubilant bowler.