Despite a record-breaking 103 by Usman Khwaja, Glamorgan were dismissed for 254 at tea on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff . By the close, the visitors had reached 169/0 in their second innings thereby extending their lead to 196 runs
Evening Update
With a first innings lead of 27 runs Ben Duckett and Luke Procter began Northamptonshire’s second innings with the former clipping Michael Hogan to extra cover for four before spearing the bowler just over the head of point. Procter also nearly gloved a delivery into Chris Cooke’s gloves before Duckett on and off drove van der Gugten for a pair of crisply-timed fours. He also outside-edged van der Gugten through the slips for four before Procter drilled Hogan square of the wicket for another four.
Luke Procter then brought up the 50 by cover-driving van der Gugten before outside-edging Ruaidhri Smith for four to the ropes. Andrew Salter entered the attack in the 13th over and was off-driven for four by Duckett who then swatted Smith over gully for four as well as drilling him through the covers as the Northamptonshire lead moved into three figures. Procter also pulled Smith for four before Duckett steered Salter through backward point. He then played the same shot against Jack Murphy to complete his fifty from 52 balls.
He celebrated by late-cutting Salter and then pulling Murphy to deep square-leg to complete the century stand. Further boundaries came his way as he drilled Salter through extra cover followed by a late cut against Murphy. Duckett then reverse-swept Salter for four before again cutting him through point, followed by a pull behind square when van der Gugten returned. Procter also cover drove the Dutchman before Duckett pulled him to the ropes at mid-wicket en route to a century from 93 balls.
In the closing overs Procter also completed his fifty, from 92 balls with Northamptonshire’s lead approaching the 200-mark.
Teatime Update
Glamorgan began the afternoon session on 115/3, still 166 runs in arrears, with Usman Khawaja and Kiran Carlson eager to further chisel away at the deficit, and repeat their record-breaking feats at Swansea against Derbyshire. Carlson began with successive cover driven fours, plus a pull, against Seeku Prasanna, whilst Khawaja unfurled a couple of cover driven fours against Sanderson before a pair of deft sweeps – one orthodox and the other reverse for four against Prasanna.
Another cover drive against Procter saw Khawaja complete his fifty from 75 balls but with the total on 156 he lost his partner as Carlson departed l.b.w. to Sanderson. Two balls later, Sanderson bowled Chris Cooke before Khawaja, having been joined by Andrew Salter, clipped Procter to the boards at mid-wicket. Salter began with fours against Procter through point and extra cover before Khawaja added another four to his tally by on-driving Sanderson.
Salter then pulled Nathan Buck for a pair of muscular fours but next over he departed l.b.w. to Brett Hutton as Glamorgan lost their sixth wicket on 195. Ruaidhri Smith then had a life as Richard Levi dropped an outside edge at second slip, before pulling Buck for six as Glamorgan went past 200. But later in the over, Smith attempted to repeat the stroke and ended up splicing a catch into Rossington’s gloves.
206/7 then became 208/8 as Prem Sisodiya was bowled by Nathan Buck before eight runs later Buck bowled Timm van der Gugten. Khawaja responded by upper-cutting Buck for four before drilling Hutton over long-on for six. He then swatted Buck to deep mid-wicket for four before ramping him for four. With all the fielders ringing the boundary’s edge, he then sprinted a single with Hogan before Seeku Prasanna returned, Khawaja lofted him for six over mid-wicket before a single to long-on.
There was plenty of applause as Hogan saw out the over before Khawaja nurdled Hutton to third man for four to become the first Glamorgan batsman to score a century in each of their first three Championship matches for the welsh county beating the record of Javed Miandad in 1980 who scored centuries in his first two Championship games for the Welsh county, making 140 and 67 against Essex at Swansea, followed by 33 ad 141 against Gloucestershire at Bristol.
Two balls later his record-breaking innings ended as he swatted Hutton to thirdman where he was caught by Richard Levi as Glamorgan were dismissed for 254.
Lunchtime Report
With the World Cup taking place in Russia at present, it is fitting to recall the motivational words of Pele, the great Brazilian footballer – “success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing.” Glamorgan certainly applied the first two aspects yesterday with hard work, perseverance and plenty of perspiration as well on a day of sweltering temperatures as Northamptonshire’s batsmen reached 275/5 by the 84th over with Richard Levi, who last year struck a bludgeoning century to win the corresponding contest dropping anchor and looking set to steer the East Midlands side to a sizeable total.
But Glamorgan then took the new ball, with Timm van der Gugten removing Levi with the first delivery before Northants lost their last five wickets for just six runs in the space of seventeen balls with the Dutchman taking four wickets at a cost of just two runs in a dozen balls, including his 100th first-class wicket. In recognition of his efforts, the Dutchman received his county cap this morning shortly before play resumed with Glamorgan on 21/0.
It immediately became 25/0 as Nick Selman clipped the first ball of the day from Nathan Buck for four to square-leg. Next over he cover drove the paceman for a second boundary, before Jack Murphy also on-drove Buck for four, but with the total on 40, Ben Sanderson found the edge of Selman’s bat with wicket-keeper Adam Rossington completing a regulation catch. Owen Morgan started with a couple of singles plus a square drive for four against Steven Crook, who was then elegantly cover-driven by Murphy.
Morgan twice pulled Sanderson for four before Murphy drilled Crook to mid-off for four, followed next ball by a punched drive through point for another four. But he departed l.b.w. to Luke Procter’s second delivery when the all-rounder entered the attack at the River End. 72/2 saw Usman Khawaja join Morgan and he began with a pair of laconic cuts through point against Brett Hutton. Morgan then cover drove Procter for four but next over, with the total on 87, Morgan edged Procter into Rossington’s gloves as Northants claimed their first bowling point.
Kiran Carlson duly replaced Morgan and watched Khawaja cover drive Buck before hooking him for four in ther penultimate over of the morning session.