Northants comprehensively beat Glamorgan by 251 runs on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Swansea, as the Welsh county, chasing 347 to win, were bundled out for just 95 with Ben Sanderson taking career-best figures of 7/22 besides completing a ten-wicket match haul.
Glamorgan resumed after lunch on 56/5 with Graeme White bowling at the Mumbles Road End, and the left-arm spinner was twice cover driven for four by Mark Wallace. David Lloyd also began the session with a four as he cut Ben Sanderson, but the bowler made the perfect riposte as in the next over he dismissed Lloyd who shouldered arms and departed l.b.w.
74/6 immediately became 74/7 as Andrew Salter edged Sanderson to third slip, and after Wallace had swept White for four, Sanderson struck again as he also removed Ruaidhri Smith leg before, and then had Timm van der Gugten caught at first slip by Ben Duckett. Wallace struck a couple of boundaries but the contest ended as Carey drove White to Keogh at mid-off as Glamorgan ended 95 all out..
Lunchtime Report
The eyes of the sporting world are currently fixed on the Rio Olympics and the recreational areas adjoining the golden sands of Copacabana Beach. For the supporters of both Glamorgan and Northamptonshire, their attention is fixed today on another maritime location – and the only county ground in Britain overlooking the sea - as the East Midlands side press for their first win in red ball cricket this year having ended yesterday’s play with a lead of 315he visitors opted to continue batting for a further nineteen balls this morning before leaving Glamorgan a target of 347 in a minimum of 90 overs. During this time, Lukas Carey nearly claimed his fifth wicket of the innings as he found the edge of Sean Terry’s bat but a diving Mark Wallace could not grasp the ball. Terry responded by plonking the teenager over long-off for six as well as inside-edging Timm van der Gugten for four.
He then heaved the Dutchman for four to wide long-on before edging another expansive drive into Wallace’s gloves. Later in the over, White top-edged a pull over the wicket-keeper’s head for six, but in van der Gugten’s next over he bowled White to complete Championship-best bowling figures of 5/61 whereupon Northants declared on 261/9 with all of the wickets in both innings being taken by the seamers.
Nick Selman and Owen Morgan began the Glamorgan second innings but this new opening pairing lasted just two balls as Selman feathered a catch down the leg-side as he glanced Ben Sanderson and was caught by a tumbling David Murphy. Next over, The same combination then accounted for Will Bragg as the wicket-keeper completed a regulation catch moving to his left in front of first slip.
2/2 then became 2/3 as Kleinveldt bowled Morgan, and it nearly became 2/4 as a thick outside edge from Jacques Rudolph’s bat just evaded the outstretched hands of .Laurie Evans at third slip. Rudolph then square-drover Sanderson for four but in the seamer’s next over, he perished at fourth slip as Kleinveldt augmented the slip cordon before holding onto the edge himself.
Sanderson might have claimed a fourth wicket but Murphy could not quite hold onto the low edge from Aneurin Donald’s bat After pulling the ball for three, the young tyro was then dropped at point from Kleinveldt’s first delivery of his sixth over as Rob Newton got his left hand to the ball diving low at point. To the next ball, Donald edged to second slip where rob Keogh could not grasp the ball much to the angst of the acting captain who remained motionless in his follow through for almost a minute.
Kleinveldt’s mood did not improve in his next over as firstly Keogh at second slip dropped Lloyd before Laurie Evans could not grasp another outside edge from Donald with the ball running away for four. Lloyd completed a pair of authentic boundaries as he glanced Mohammed Azharullah to the ropes at fine-leg before fiercely cutting him. Donald then firmly off-drove Kleinveldt before White entered the attack and was also edged for four by Lloyd. But in the penultimnate over before lunch Donald miscued an expansice shot against the spinner and White completed the catch.