Glamorgan bowled out for 269 at Northampton

Northants enjoyed the better of the day`s play at the Wantage Road ground as their Championship match with Glamorgan began under a clear blue sky and with temperatures in the mid twenties. The home team bowled out Glamorgan for 269 in 85.3 overs, before having an hour`s batting during which they added a brisk 70 to end the day 199 runs in arrears with all ten wickets in hand.

The day began with Robert Croft winning the toss, and opting to take first use of a wicket that was expected to turn later on, but as in the C&G Trophy game on Wednesday, most of the Glamorgan batsmen got into the 20`s and 30`s without going on to make a substantial score.

Openers Adrian Dale and Jon Hughes weathered a fiery opening burst by Andre Nel, and after seeing Dale survive a chance at mid-on, the South African pace bowler bowled Hughes for 24 as the young batsman shouldered arms. David Hemp soon followed, caught by Phil Jacques off change bowler Ben Phillips to make it 57-2, before Adrian Dale and Mike Powell took the score to 112-2 at lunch.

However, Powell departed to the first ball after the interval as he was adjudged l.b.w. for 29 playing back to Jason Brown. Nine balls later Dale was caught in the gulley off Nel for 37, before Matthew Maynard and Mark Wallace shared a breezy partnership adding 59 in 13 overs until Maynard was caught at mid-off for 26 to give Brown his second wicket. The off-spinner quickly made it three as just three balls later he trapped Mark Wallace leg before for 32.

Croft and Harrison then shared the third half century partnership of the innings, before Harrison was caught at mid-on for 33 as he miscued a pull against Jeff Cook. The patient Croft then found an useful ally in Michael Kasprowicz who hit a forceful 21 before becoming Brown`s fourth victim as he was caught at slip by David Sales.

Croft continued the resistance, and the acting captain had been at the crease for over two hours in scoring a watchful 34 when he top-edged a pull against Ben Phillips and was well caught by Nel running in from long-leg. The Glamorgan innings ended in Phillips` next over as Alex Wharf was caught behind by wicket-keeper Tobin Bailey. Mike Hussey and Rob White then raced to a half-century partnership in the first 11 overs of the Northants reply, and Glamorgan`s bowlers will have to take a clutch of wickets on the second morning if they are to wrest the initiative away from the home team.