Northamptonshire are 268/6 at the end of an action-packed opening day of their contest in the 2017 Specsavers County Championship which earlier saw Glamorgan dismissed for 101.
Close of Play Report
Northamptonshire were 86/3 and 15 runs in arrears when play resumed after tea, with Lukas Carey and Harry Podmore sharing the bowling duties. The latter made an important breakthrough as in the third over of the session Alex Wakely miscued a pull and was caught by the bowler as he completed his follow through.
Richard Levi replaced his captain in the middle and began by squirting a ball from Podmore through the slip cordon. Adam Rossington square-drove and on-drove Podmore before Levi swatted a short ball from the loanee through cover point. He also played the same stroke when Marchant De Lange switched to the Lyn Wilson End as sunshine bathed the ground with Northants going into the ascendancy.
Rossington drilled Meschede to the long-off ropes for four before Levi on-drove de Lange for another boundary. A leg-glance by Rossington against Meschede saw him complete an 84-ball fifty before Levi straight drove de Lange for four. However, it proved to be his final boundary as next over he was bowled by Meschede.
156/5 saw Steven Crook join Rossington with the pair accumulating at first in singles as Colin Ingram’s leg-spin was briefly employed at the Wilson End. The sequence was ended as Crook drilled Meschede through extra cover for four, but Carey returned to the attack and ended Rossington’s stay at the crease as he also miscued a pull and spliced a catch to Selman running around to point.
170/6 saw Rory Kleinveldt join Crook with the burly all-rounder getting off the mark by driving Podmore through the covers before almost holing out to Kiran Carlson at deep square-leg. His lusty cameo continued as he pulled Carey to the ropes at mid-wicket before twice repeating the stroke, firstly top-edging the ball to fine-leg and secondly swatting it to deep backward square-leg.
Crook brought up the 200 by carving Carey through backward point for four with Kleinveldt adding another four as he clipped Podmore to mid-wicket before pulling the loanee for a huge six over deep backward square-leg. He then clubbed Carey through extra-cover for four before pulling him for a massive six over mid-wicket. This was followed by a forearm smash through mid-off against the youngster and another clubbed on-drive for six against Podmore as he reached his 50 from just 23 balls.
The South African celebrated by swatting another six over mid-wicket against Podmore before de Lange and Ingram returned for the closing overs. Kleinveldt added another four to his tally by clipping de Lange to fine-leg for four.
Teatime Report
Glamorgan resumed after lunch on 84/8 with Marchant de Lange scything Rory Kleinveldt through point for four, but without further addition, Harry Podmore was caught at third slip as he tried to drive Ben Sanderson. Another lusty heave by de Lange sent the ball high over third man for six against Kleinveldt but next over his stumps were then rearranged by Sanderson as he tried to repeat the stroke next over as Glamorgan’s innings ended on 101.
De Lange was swiftly back in action as he shared the new ball with Lukas Carey as Rob Newton and Ben Duckett began Northamptonshire’s reply. With the cloud cover having dissipated, April sunshine bathed the Wantage Road ground as Carey nearly removed Duckett who spooned the ball just over the out-stretched hands of Owen Morgan who was briefly fielding as a substitute at mid-off.
Newton duly struck the first boundary as he pulled Carey for four but next ball the youngster made the breakthrough as Newton upper cut a ball to third man where de Lange held a fine low catch running in from the boundary edge. 25/1 then became 25/2 as de Lange pinned Duckett l.b.w with a full length delivery. Two runs later Harry Podmore struck in his opening over as he removed his Middlesex college Max Holden as the fellow loanee edged a defensive stroke into Chris Cooke’s gloves.
It nearly became 27/4 as Alex Wakely was firstly bowled off a no-ball before edging into the slips where the ball just evaded the grasp of Nick Selman. Wakely celebrated by off-driving Podmore for four before Adam Rossington did the same against Meschede, besides cover-driving the all-rounder. Rossington then pulled Podmore for six before Wakely drilled Meschede through mid-on for four. Rossington greeted the return of de Lange to the attack by clipping him to mid-wicket, with the boundary bringing up the 50-stand. Wakely also square-drove the South African quick bowler as the fourth wicket pairing whittled away the deficit.
Lunchtime update
With the Welsh county’s injury list having almost as many vowels and consonants as those adorning the world-famous railway station sign at Llanfair PG, Glamorgan go into this match without four regular faces from 2016 - Timm van der Gugten, Will Bragg, Michael Hogan and Graham Wagg. On the plus side, Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke who each missed plenty of red ball action last summer, are back in the Welsh county’s side, whilst Marchant de Lange their recently recruited South African paceman, makes his county debut alongside Harry Podmore, who spent time on loan from Middlesex during 2016 and has returned for a second spell with the Welsh county.
After Jacques Rudolph had twice cover driven Rory Kleinveldt, the South African removed Nick Selman l.b.w. as Glamorgan lost their first wicket with the total on 3. Rudolph then steered Ben Sanderson to the vacant third man boundary but Kleinveldt claimed another l.b.w. victim in his next over as David Lloyd also returned to the pavilion. Three balls later Rudolph followed him as he edged Sanderson into the hands of third slip as the home side gained their first bowling point with Glamorgan on 9/3 in the sixth over.
With the bowlers getting lavish lateral movement, Colin Ingram and Aneurin Donald then took the total to 22 before Nathan Buck struck with his second delivery as Ingram was caught behind by Adam Rossington. Donald cover drove Kleinveldt before Nathan Buck removed Chris Cooke and Kiran Carlson in successive deliveries. Cooke departed l.b.w. to a full length delivery which appeared to swung late into the batsman’s pads, with Carlson then edging the next ball into the slip cordon where Wakeley claimed his second catch.
Donald defiantly pulled a short ball from Buck for four before on-driving a full length delivery to the boards at long-on. Next over, he hoisted the seamer over mid-wicket for six before Craig Meschede struck successive fours off Buck to the boards at third man and mid-wicket respectively. A brace of three’s also saw Donald and Meschede take Glamorgan past the 50-mark, but with the total on 67, Kleinveldt retuned and single-handedly ended Meschede’s innings as he chipped the first delivery back to the bowler.
Podmore inside-edged a delivery from Kleinveldt to fine-leg before slashing Steven Crook to extra cover shortly but with the total on 79, Donald under-edged a cut against Crook into Rossington's gloves. De Lange then off-drove Kleinveldt for four as Glamorgan went to lunch on 84/8