NORTHAMPTONSHIRE v GLAMORGAN

An unbeaten 107 by Chris Cooke, supported by half-centuries from David Lloyd and Kiran Carlson helped Glamorgan reach 324-7 at the end of the opening day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Northamptonshire after being put in to bat at a sun-drenched Wantage Road.

Close of Play Report

Chris Cooke’s fifty had guided Glamorgan to 226-6 at tea and the Club’s captain immediately added another boundary to his tally by punching Saif Zaib through backward point for four before Dan Douthwaite harpooned Nathan Buck to the boards at mid-wicket followed by a rasping on-drive for the second muscular four of the over. The all-rounder pulled another ball from Buck for four before driving Zaib to long-off for four as Glamorgan clinched their second batting point.

Cooke celebrated by on-driving Buck for another four before Rob Keogh returned to the attack as Northants switched to an all-spin attack ahead of the new ball and was nearly decapitated by a drive fiercely struck back to him by Douthwaite who next over struck an exocet-like drive through the covers against Zaib.

Gareth Berg and Ben Sanderson duly returned to the bowling as the new ball was taken with Glamorgan on 272-6 after 80 overs. After some watchful reconnaissance, Cooke drove Berg for four through mid-off prior to clipping Sanderson to square-leg before Douthwaite bludgeoned Berg for four to mid-wicket. Cooke then on-drove Sanderson for four before two balls later imperiously dispatching the bowler through extra-cover for another high-class four as Glamorgan reached 300 and their third bonus point.

But three runs later, the seventh wicket partnership came to an end as Berg bowled Douthwaite for four with James Harris joining Cooke as he approached his second Championship century of the season. He duly reached three figures by on-driving Nathan Buck for four – his 180th delivery and 18th boundary – after three and three-quarter hours at the crease.

Teatime Update

Having lost David Lloyd to the final ball before lunch, Glamorgan started the afternoon session on 100-3 with Kiran Carlson joining Billy Root as Wayne Parnell and Gareth Berg resumed the bowling duties. Carlson began with a sumptuous cover-driven form against Berg but Parnell struck with his eleventh delivery of the session as Root departed l.b.w.

Chris Cooke joined Carlson who punched successive deliveries from Berg through the covers for a pair of fours. After a couple of singles, Cooke edged Berg to third man for four before Carlson biffed Parnell again through extra-cover. Cooke also clipped Parnell to the boards at mid-wicket before Carlson greeted the return of Ben Sanderson by also drilling him through the covers for four.

Cooke found the ropes again as he flicked Parnell off his hips to square-leg before Carlson saw Glamorgan past the 150-mark with another sumptuous four off the back foot through point against Nathan Buck. The bowler was also twice on-driven for four by Cooke who also crisply clipped Parnell to the rope at mid-wicket before cover-driving Berg.

Carlson then pummeled Parnell through backward point for four before deftly square-cutting Rob Keogh’s off-spin through the same area. Cooke repeated the stroke later in the over before drilling Parnell through extra-cover, with Carlson then cover-driving Saif Zaib to complete a 64-ball fifty as Glamorgan secured their first batting point shortly before tea. Cooke then brought up their century stand by driving Keogh to mid-off before completing his own fifty from 82 balls.

But with the total on 211, Carlson was yorked by Zaib for 54 before the left-arm spinner bowled Callum Taylor with the next delivery. Having been joined by Dan Douthwaite, Cooke then pulled Zaib for four.

Lunchtime update

With Timm van der Gugten joining other bowlers on the sidelines having suffered muscle soreness during last week’s defeat against Sussex, James Harris returned to the Glamorgan line-up after the Welsh county agreed with Middlesex a loan deal for the 30 year-old all-rounder. However, it was Glamorgan’s batsmen who were in action first after Northamptonshire opted to bowl first on a sunny and cloudless morning on a green-tinged pitch with Nick Selman and David Lloyd opening the bat against Ben Sanderson and Nathan Buck.

Selman struck the day’s first boundary as he square-drove Sanderson before Lloyd on-drove and cover-drove successive deliveries from Buck to the ropes. The North Walian also slapped a short ball from Buck through point for another rasping four before Wayne Parnell and Gareth Berg entered the attack. Lloyd initially square-drove Parnell for a further boundary before adding a pair of fluently struck boundaries through the covers in the South African’s next over.

Lloyd brought up the fifty by drilling Parnell through backward point for another four before outside-edging Sanderson through the slip cordon for four. Selman repeated the stroke later in the over bisecting third and fourth slip but Berg’s accuracy on and around off-stump was rewarded as he bowled Selman with a delivery which jagged back in as the batsman shouldered arms.

66-1 saw Andrew Balbirnie join Lloyd who reached before Lloyd reached his half-century from 69 balls by off-driving Sanderson for his ninth boundary. The Dubliner opened his account with an off-drive for three against Berg but later in the over he departed l.b.w. as the bowler snared another visiting batsman with a wicked delivery which moved back in sharply to Balbirnie. With Billy Root as his new partner, Lloyd cover drove both Berg and Parnell for four before Root did the same against a no-ball from Sanderson as well as an overpitched delivery from Buck shortly before lunch. But in the final over before the interval, Lloyd flicked Parnell into the hands of the fielder at short mid-wicket.

Northamptonshire are 251-7 at the close of the second day of their LV=Insurance County Championship match at Wantage Road in reply to Glamorgan’s first innings total of 407 in which Chris Cooke made 136.

Close of Play Report

Northants began the final session on St. George’s Day still 277 runs in arrears on 130-5 with plenty of work still to be done by Adam Rossington and Saif Zaib to avoid potentially being asked to follow-on by Glamorgan. The two James’ – Messrs. Harris and Weighell - resumed the bowling duties with Zaib nurdling Harris to the third man boundary before cover-driving Weighell. Having been the aggressor before the interval, Rossington accumulated initially solely in singles.

Zaib greeted the return of David Lloyd into the attack by pulling him for four before cover-driving Harris with aplomb. Rossington then ended his series of singles by driving Lloyd through the covers for four to complete his fifty from 72 balls. He celebrate by firmly on-driving Dan Douthwaite for four when the all-rounder also had his second spell before also bringing up the century stand for the sixth wicket.

Rossington also punched Douthwaite to the boards at mid-off before clipping Lloyd to square-leg as his team secured their first batting point. But without further addition Zaib swatted a full toss from Lloyd into the hands of Harris at mid-on. Wayne Parnell opened his account by cover-driving Douthwaite before Michael Hogan returned to the fray and immediately removed Rossington who departed leg before to the evergreen seamer.

With 44 still needed to avoid the follow-on, Gareth Berg made his way to the middle and began by on-driving Weighell for four. Parnell then had a life with Selman failing to clung onto a head-high chance to his left at second slip as the South African edged Weighell. Parnell responded by cover-driving Weighell for four before Berg edged Hogan just short of second slip. Callum Taylor and Harris each had late spells but the eighth wicket pair remained resolute, secured a second batting point and saw Northants through to the close.

Teatime Report

It was definitely Glamorgan’s morning at Wantage Road where, after amassing 407, the visitors reduced Northants to 17-2 at the interval. When play began, Rob Keogh replaced Charlie Thurston as Michael Hogan completed the over before David Lloyd continued his probing spell having emulated fellow North Walian Wilf Wooller by opening both the batting and the bowling in this game.

James Harris then entered the attack at the Pavilion End and was twice edged through the slip cordon for four by Keogh, before Ben Curran did the same to Lloyd. The rebuilding continued as Keogh struck successive balls from Harris to the ropes at mid-off and mid-wicket before James Weighell replaced Lloyd at the Lyn Wilson End and beat the outside edge of Keogh’s bat. But it was Harris who made the breakthrough as he trapped Keogh l.b.w. with a ball which nipped back in to the right-hander.

54-3 saw Glamorgan secure their first bowling point as Luke Procter made his way to the middle to join Curran who nearly scooped Weighell into the gloves of Cooke as the ball ricocheted off the back of the bat just short of the Glamorgan captain. Procter square-drove Harris for four before Dan Douthwaite replaced the loanee and had a loud l.b.w. appeal turned down with his first delivery before being cover-driven for four by Curran.

With the total on 76, Weighell’s frugality was rewarded as Curran edged the Middlesbrough-born seamer into Cooke’s gloves. Saif Zaib duly joined Procter but their pairing lasted six balls as next over Douthwaite removed the latter who gloved a ball down the legside to become another victim for the visiting captain.

Adam Rossington and Zaib each got off the mark with a cover driven four before spin was introduced as Callum Taylor entered the attack with Hogan also returning to the fray at the Pavilion End. Rossington lofted Taylor over long-off for six before pulling him over square-leg for another maximum as the home captain played the role of the aggressor whilst his partner quietly dropped anchor.

Lunchtime Update

Callum Taylor would, no doubt, agree with the famous saying that “cricket is a funny old game” with the Glamorgan batsman and off-spinner yesterday recording a golden duck at a ground where last August he scored an 88-ball hundred on his first-class debut. Fortunately, others in the Welsh county’s line-up had a more productive and aesthetically pleasing time at Northampton yesterday, not least Chris Cooke who posted his second century of the summer and ended the day unbeaten on 107 as his side finished on 324-7 from 96 overs having been put in to bat on a green-tinged surface.

The steadfast Glamorgan captain was eager to push on towards a further batting point this morning together with the capable James Harris, on loan from Middlesex as Ben Sanderson and Gareth Berg resumed the bowling duties. After a series of singles, Cooke punched Sanderson through extra-cover for four before twice edging the seamer just out of the reach of Ricardo Vasconcelas at first slip. James Harris also drove Berg through the covers for four but next over feathered a catch to Adam Rossington, the home wicket-keeper, who was standing up to Sanderson.

349-8 saw James Weighell swat a ball towards square-leg as Glamorgan reached the 350-mark in the 105th over. The left-hander repeated the shot in Sanderson’s next over as the ball sailed into the empty stands for six, before glancing Berg to fine-leg for four and a straight driven four against Sanderson as Glamorgan reached the 110-over mark, and the end of bonus points, on 375-8. It was with some irony that two balls later Northants claimed their ninth wicket as Weighell’s cameo came to an end as he edged Wayne Parnell into Adam Rossington’s gloves.

Michael Hogan began in typical fashion by scything Parnell to mid-wicket before driving the South African through extra-cover to complete back-to-back fours. He then drilled successive deliveries from Buck through backward point and to long-on for another pair of rasping fours. Cooke then opened his shoulders to loft Buck over long-off for six before Hogan smashed Parnell to mid-wicket for four to bring up the 400. He then drove the South African through the covers for another boundary but the flurry of boundaries ended next over as Cooke’s valiant innings – and his second highest in Championship cricket – came to an end on 136 as he edged Buck to the solitary slip where Vasconcelas took a good catch head-high to his right with Glamorgan finishing on 407.

This meant that Northamptonshire had 35 minutes batting before lunch as Vasconcelos opened the innings with Ben Curran facing the new ball pairing of Hogan and David Lloyd. Vasconcelos smeared Lloyd through the slips for four before Curran off-drove Hogan for a second boundary. Vasconcelos repeated the stroke in Lloyd’s second over before perishing in the slips as he edged the North Walian to Billy Root with the East Midlands side on 12-1. It then became 17-2 in the final over before the interval as Weighell, at mid-on, produced a superb piece of fielding making a direct hit at the bowler's end as Charlie Thurston attempted a single.

Half-centuries by Nick Selman (69) and Billy Root (56) helped Glamorgan reach 205-4 at the end of the third day of their LV=Insurance County Championship match at Wantage Road with the Welsh county leading by 248 runs.

Close of Play Report

Glamorgan began the final session on 92-2 from 35 overs and with an overall lead of 135 runs. Billy Root was quickly into his stride cover-driving Nathan Buck for four before Nick Selman did the same against Wayne Parnell to see Glamorgan into three figures. The opener then clipped Buck to fine-leg for four before driving him off the front foot through extra-cover, followed by another glance to long-leg against Parnell en route to a 124-ball fifty after a shade under three hours at the crease.

Selman celebrated by unfurling a rasping cover drive to the next delivery as he posted his seventh boundary before next over nonchalantly flicking Buck to the ropes at square-leg. He enjoyed some good fortune in Parnell’s next over as he edged the South African through the vacant slips for another boundary.

With Saif Zaib’s left-arm spin being employed in tandem with Gareth Berg, the third wicket pair accumulated mainly in singles with Selman also surviving a sharp caught and bowled chance to Berg. A single to Root brought up the century stand but without further addition, Selman – on 69 - feathered a catch down the leg-side against Berg and was caught by Vasconcelos.

154-3 saw Kiran Carlson join Root who guided Berg to third man for four to take the lead beyond 200 before another single saw him to his patient fifty from 103 balls. He then greeted the return of Ben Sanderson by drilling him through the covers, but the Northants seamer made the perfect riposte by finding the edge of his bat with the next delivery and seeing Vasconcelos complete another catch.

Chris Cooke joined Carlson with his side on 169-4, with the latter playing a pair sublime drives through the covers against Sanderson plus a nurdle to the vacant third man. He then lofted Zaib to long-off for four before Cooke flicked Sanderson to fine-leg for four.

Teatime Report

Having dismissed the home side in the final over before lunch, Glamorgan’s openers Nick Selman and David Lloyd started their second innings when play resumed after the interval with the Welsh county leading by 43 runs. Ben Sanderson and Gareth Buck shared the new ball duties with Lloyd dabbing Sanderson, almost as an afterthought, to third man for four before punching Berg through extra-cover for three followed by a drive to long-on for four against Sanderson.

Selman struck his first boundary by on-driving Berg before Lloyd greeted the introduction of Wayne Parnell into the attack by cover-driving successive deliveries for four prior to clipping Buck to fine-leg. Lloyd then brought up the 50-stand in the 15th over before surviving a chance behind the wicket to Adam Rossington who injured a finger on his left hand in trying to complete the catch and, after leaving the field for treatment, was replaced behind the stumps by Ricardo Vasconcelos.

The replacement keeper was straight into the action as shortly afterwards Lloyd edged a delivery from Buck and departed for 38. 54-1 then became 54-2 as Andrew Balbirnie pulled a ball to Brandan Glover, the substitute fielder at deep mid-wicket. Billy Root began with a booming off-drive against Buck before accumulating in singles in tandem with the obdurate Selman.

With Northants switching to spin shortly before tea, Root reverse-swept Saif Zaib for three before Selman drilled Sanderson to the ropes at long-off for four.

Lunchtime Report

It may have been St. George’s Day yesterday but there were no heroics by Englishmen (or dragon-slaying exploits) at Northampton yesterday as the Welsh county continue to enjoy the better of the contest with the home side entering today’s play still 156 runs adrift and with just a trio of first innings wickets remaining.

Wayne Parnell and Gareth Berg resumed the batting this morning against Michael Hogan and Callum Taylor with the Welsh county looking to quickly end the Northants innings, whilst the home side were seeking further batting points. Parnell square-cut the fourth ball of the day from Hogan to the boundary at point before Berg clipped successive balls from the Australian to the ropes at mid-wicket and square-leg in his next over.

Glamorgan duly took the new ball when it became available after 80 overs with Berg flicking Hogan to fine-leg for four before David Lloyd returned to the attack and was inside-edged for four by Parnell. Berg also clipped Hogan to long-leg for four as Northants reached the 300-mark and another point in the 85^th over, with Parnell also completing his fifty from 81 balls after twice off-driving Lloyd.

Berg then drove James Harris to third man for four to bring up the century stand before surviving a couple of sharp caught and bowled chances when James Weighell returned at the Lyn Wilson End. But the former Durham seamer made the breakthrough four overs later as he yorked Parnell for 54. 321-8 saw Nathan Buck join Berg who on-drove and cover-drove Taylor as he posted an 83-ball fifty when the off-spinner returned to the attack at the Pavilion End.

Buck edged Taylor for four before pulling Weighell for six over square-leg followed by a punched drive through extra-cover as Northants secured a fourth batting point on 350. But five runs later, Buck skewed a drive against James Harris to backward point where Weighell completed a good low catch. Michael Hogan then bowled Ben Sanderson as Northants ended on 364 with Berg unbeaten on 69,

A third wicket stand of 239 in 46 overs by Ricardo Vasconcelos (185*) and Rob Keogh (126) helped Northamptonshire to a seven-wicket victory on the final day of their LV=Insurance County Championship match against Glamorgan at Wantage Road as the home side successfully chased a target of 355 in a minimum of 79 overs.

Close of Play Report

With 36 overs remaining after tea, Northants needed a further 157 runs to win, with Glamorgan requiring a further eight wickets as Ricardo Vasconcelos resumed unbeaten on 103 having already added 116 in 24 overs with Rob Keogh for the third wicket. Callum Taylor and James Harris continued the bowling duties with the home batsmen scampering a series of singles before Keogh twice dispatched Taylor through extra-cover, whilst Vasconcelos twice nurdled Harris to the third man boundary.

Andrew Balbirnie’s gentle off-spin was also introduced as Glamorgan sought to take pace off the ball on the turgid surface. After a couple of economical overs, Keogh drilled the Dubliner through extra-cover for four. James Weighell had another spell at the Lyn Wilson End and was slashed to third man for four by Keogh to take the target below the 100-mark.

Michael Hogan also returned for another salvo at the Pavilion End and was nonchalantly flicked to mid-wicket by Vasconcelos before the seamer’s next delivery was on-driven by the opener. Keogh then reached his hundred by square-cutting Weighell for four – his 15th boundary from his 109th delivery – before Vasconcelos off-drove Hogan for another boundary. Keogh brought up the double-century stand in 38 overs by swatting Hogan through backward point and then driving up through extra-cover as the target for the home side became 65 from 21 overs.

Keogh then square-cut Weighell for four before Callum Taylor and David Lloyd returned to the fray with Vasconcelos reaching his 150 by straight driving the spinner for six. Keogh then cover drove Taylor for four before Vasconcelos hit the first ball of the final hour to long-on for four. But with the total on 321 Keogh edged Lloyd into Cooke’s gloves, with the wicket-keeper standing up to the wicket end the stand which had added 239 in 46 overs, and just three short of Northamptonshire’s best third wicket stand against Glamorgan set at Sophia Gardens in 1983 by Wayne Larkins and Allan Lamb – another South African and Bedfordshire combination like today’s pairing.

Luke Procter duly joined Vasconcelos who square-drove Lloyd for four before Procter clipped Harris to square-leg. Vasconcelos then pulled and on-drove Lloyd for a pair of fours before Procter clipped the all-rounder to fine-leg for four as the home side reached their target with 38 balls remaining with Vasconcelos unbeaten on a career-best 185 as Northamptonshire completed their third highest winning total in Championship cricket.

Teatime Update

Northants began the afternoon session on 54-0, needing a further 301 runs to win, and Glamorgan seeking ten wickets as Callum Taylor and James Harris resumed the bowling duties. Ricardo Vasconcelos began by square-driving and leg-glancing Harris for a couple of fours as well as edging the on-loan seamer just short of David Lloyd at second slip to complete a 50-ball half-century. Ben Curran then lofted Taylor to long-on for four but the bowler responded next ball by trapping the opener l.b.w.

81-1 then became 82-2 as Charlie Thurston edged James Weighell to first slip where Andrew Balbirnie completed a shoulder high catch. Rob Keogh began with an off-driven four against the spinner before clipping the seamer to long-leg for another boundary. Vasconcelos also pulled Weighell for four before cover-driving Michael Hogan when he returned to the attack at the Pavilion End.

Keogh also on-drove Hogan for a crisply-struck boundary before Vasconcelos clipped Weighell to the mid-wicket ropes, followed by a flick to square-leg against Hogan. Keogh also rattled the boundary boards as he flicked Weighell to mid-wicket and fine-leg. Dan Douthwaite then entered the fray and was savagely cut through backward point by Keogh. After a series of quick singles, Vasconcelos repeated the stroke a few overs later against Douthwaite and was nearly caught on the boundary’s edge as the target dropped below 200.

There was no risk involved though to the next boundary as Keogh square-cut Douthwaite before off-driving Hogan for four to complete a 47-ball fifty. Taylor and Harris returned to the attack as the tempo of the Northants innings dipped shortly before tea with the sequence of economical overs ending as Vasconcelas skewed Harris to third man for four before completing his hundred, from 121 balls, by square-cutting Taylor.

Lunchtime Report

Glamorgan began the fourth and final day of this contest at Northampton on 205-4 with a lead of 248 runs with Kiran Carlson, after a delightful cameo in the closing overs yesterday, and captain Chris Cooke keen to further extend the lead this morning prior to a declaration.

With Adam Rossington still nursing a damaged digit, Ricardo Vasconcelos continued as the stand-in captain whilst Harry Gouldstone, Northants’ reserve wicket-keeper, took over behind the stumps. Gareth Berg and Ben Sanderson resumed the bowling duties as Carlson unfurled another sublime cover drive against the former to register the day’s first boundary prior to flicking the latter to the ropes at long-leg.

Carlson also lofted Berg for a straight four, whilst Cooke began by accumulating in a series of singles with two of the home fielders wearing face-covering snoods in the chilly weather. He then opened his shoulders to drill Sanderson to long-off for four before pulling Berg for a massive six over mid-wicket. The lead then went past 300 as Cooke scythed Sanderson to mid-wicket before later in the over pulling the bowler to the fine-leg boundary.

Carlson completed his second fifty of the game – from 69 balls – besides bringing up the century partnership by cover-driving Berg to deep extra-cover before Wayne Parnell returned to the attack and was dispatched by Carlson in the same direction. Nathan Buck also replaced Berg at the Lyn Wilson End and saw Brandon Glover, the substitute fielder drop a skier from Cooke at square, but he was not to be deprived of a wicket as next ball Carlson carved a ball to third man where Sanderson completed the catch and departed for 59.

280-5 saw Callum Taylor join Cooke and he began by running Buck down to third man for four, before Cooke clipped Parnell to long-leg for four en route to his second half-century of the game, from 62 deliveries shortly before the declaration came on 311-5 with Glamorgan having added a cavalcade of 106 runs this morning from 15 overs.

This left Northants a target of 355 from a minimum of 79 overs including forty minutes batting before lunch. Ben Curran began by twice clipping Michael Hogan to the mid-wicket ropes before Vasconcelos cover-drove the evergreen Australian for another four. Vasconcelos also struck three successive deliveries from David Lloyd, who again shared the new ball, to fine-leg and extra-cover for further boundaries. The left-hander also drove Lloyd through extra-cover as the home side continued to make a breezy start before James Harris and Callum Taylor briefly bowled in tandem before the lunch interval.