After an opening stand of 208 between Ben Duckett (133) and Luke Procter (70), Northamptonshire declared on 406/9 at tea on the third day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff setting the Welsh county a target of 434. Ruiadhri Smith claimed a career-best of 4/75 before Glamorgan ended the day on 121/4.
Evening Update
There were 33 overs remaining, plus tomorrow’s quota of 96 when Glamorgan began their second innings after tea chasing the target of 34. The regular pairing of Nick Selman and Jack Murphy took guard with Ben Sanderson and Brett Hutton sharing the new ball. Selman found the ropes in the third over as he pulled Sanderson before Murphy guided the bowler through the gully for his first boundary before dispatching the next through mid-off for four.
Murphy then sent successive balls from Hutton speeding through the covers for a pair of well-timed fours. Selman then cover drove Luke Procter for four but next ball he skewed a drive into the hands of Crook at point as Glamorgan lost their first wicket on 40. Owen Morgan became Murphy’s new partner with the latter shortly afterwards requiring attention after being struck on the head by a short ball in Nathan Buck’s opening over. He resumed but in Buck’s next over he edged to Hutton at third slip as Usman Khawaja made his way to the middle with his adopted county on 54/2.
He began by cover-driving and pulling Buck for a brace of fours, before glancing Procter to the ropes at fine-leg and then doing the same to Buck, courtesy of a misfield by Prasanna. Khawaja then took his tally of boundaries to six by flicking Crook to deep square-leg and seven by nurdling the bowler to third man. But his boundary-laden innings ended in Prasanna’s second over as he was snaffled at short-leg as Vasconcelos held a smart catch.
111/3 saw Carlson join Morgan, who pulled Hutton for four before fending off some deliveries from Sanderson who returned shortly before the close as Northamptonshire looked to make further inroads in the evening sunshine. However, it was Prasanna who claimed the fourth wicket as in the penultimate over he removed Morgan courtesy on some juggling in the slip cordon before Richard Levi pouched the outside edge.
Afternoon Update
Northants were 259/5 with a lead of 286 runs when play began after lunch with Ruaidhri Smith and Andrew Salter. Stephen Crook began by leg-glancing the off-spinner for consecutive fours before driving him to the ropes at long-on as the lead reached 300. Ricardo Vasconcelas then square-cut Salter before Crook hoisted him to mid-wicket just out of the grasp of Owen Morgan. After a series of dot balls, Crook then advanced down the wicket to Prem Sisodiya and drove him through mid-off for four.
With Northants on 311/5 after 80 overs, Glamorgan took the new ball with van der Gugten and Hogan returning to the attack. Crook square-cut the Dutchman before Vasconcelos clipped Hogan to fine-leg. He followed this with a cover drive against van der Gugten en route to a 104-ball fifty before Crook drilled van der Gugten through extra-cover for four. Vasconcelos then pulled Hogan for four whilst Crook cover drove Hogan for four to bring up the century stand.
Vasconcelos then drove van der Gugten for successive fours through cover and backward point before Crook completed his fifty from 95 balls with a fierce pull against Smith. The visitors lead reached the 400-mark as Crook straight drove Sisodiya for four, followed by an on-drive for four against Smith plus a late cut through the gully. But the bowler gained revenge as later in the over Crook dragged a ball onto his stumps and departed for 73.
The clatter of wickets continued as 393/6 then became 394/7 as Vasconcelas edged Smith to Selman at slip, before four runs later Sisodiya snared Seeku Prasanna l.b.w. Next over he had Nathan Buck caught at long-on by Salter wherupon Northants declared leaving Glamorgan a traget of 434 to win
Lunchtime Report
The first five sessions of this game have seen the initiative swing to and fro between the two sides, like a pendulum on a grandfather clock but after last night’s session when Ben Duckett and Luke Procter added an unbeaten 169 for the first wicket from 37 overs, the initiative appears is now with Northants who began the third day 196 runs ahead of Glamorgan who needed early wickets this morning to prevent the visitors from building a commanding lead.
This duly came about but not until the second hour’s play as Michael Hogan and Timm van der Gugten resumed the bowling, with the latter being struck to fine-leg for the day’s first boundary by Procter. The batsman then added two more in the Dutchman’s next over as he clipped him to third man and fine-leg. Duckett then found the ropes at square-leg as he pulled Hogan for four to bring up the double century stand, and the best-ever for that wicket by Northants against Glamorgan beating the 198 made by Mick Norman and Brian Reynolds at Northampton in 1962.
Duckett then flicked Hogan to fine-leg for four but in the next over the opening stand came to an end with the total on 208 as Chris Cooke took a good catch down the leg-side as Procter appeared to inside-edge a delivery from van der Gugten. Eight runs later, Smith ended Duckett’s tenure of the crease as Owen Morgan took a fine diving catch running in from the square-leg boundary as the opener miscued a pull.
One run later, van der Gugten struck again as Alex Wakely edged to Nick Selman at second slip with Richard Levi joining Ricardo Vasconcelos at the crease. The pair duly accumulated in a series of singles before Levi top-edged Smith over the slip cordon for four. Vasconcelos then cover-drove van der Gugten before Levi drilled Smith through mid-off for another four.
Andrew Salter then entered the attack and was cut for four by Vasconcelos, but in his second over he trapped Levi l.b.w. 243/4 then became 246/5 as Smith trapped Adam Rossington leg before with Glamorgan having taking 5/38 in thirteen overs.