The second day of Glamorgan’s Specsavers County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road was a red letter day for Billy Root and his colleagues in the Welsh county’s team.
Billy posted his maiden double-hundred from 230 balls before departing for 229 from 252 balls with 30 fours and one six. As seen in the list below, only three other batsmen have scored more runs during a day’s play in a County Championship match:
238* by Matthew Maynard v Hampshire at Southampton, 1991
235* by Steve James v Essex at Chelmsford, 2002
234 by Aneurin Donald v Derbyshire at Colwyn Bay, 2016
His innings of 229 was the highest for the Welsh county in first-class cricket against Northamptonshire, beating the 228* made by Roy Fredericks at Swansea in 1972. It was also the highest on Northamptonshire soil, beating Steve James’ score of 227 at Wantage Road in 1998.
In all, Glamorgan scored 447 runs on the second day’s play having also feasted on the Northants bowlers on the opening day of the Championship match at Sophia Gardens in April when making 433. There have been only three other instances, as listed below, when the Welsh county have scored more runs during a day’s play in a County Championship match:
499 - 2nd day v Essex at Sophia Gardens, 2002
493 - 4th day v Worcestershire at Abergavenny, 1990
481 - 1st day v Derbyshire at Colwyn Bay, 2016