Glam face big battle to stave off defeat

GLAMORGAN were outplayed by bottom-of-the-table Northants on the third day of their County Championship clash at Sophia Gardens and face a tough battle to avoid defeat.

After the visitors had declared on 403 for nine, the home team were set the mammoth total of 434 to win.

They closed on 121 for four, and with Usman Khawaja already out, their chances of avoiding defeat are slim on a pitch where the odd ball is misbehaving for the seamers, and there was sufficient turn for Seekuge Prasanna to take two late wickets.

When play resumed on another glorious morning, Ben Duckett and Luke Procter extended their opening partnership to 208, and surpass the previous record for that wicket against Glamorgan, established by Brian Reynolds and Mickey Norman at Northampton in 1962.

Procter, who made an assured 70, was the first to go, when his inside edge off Van der Gugten was well caught by Cooke, and three overs later Duckett’s season-best of 133 from 154 balls which included 22 fours, ended when he mis-hit a short ball from Ruaidhri Smith to midwicket.

The third wicket then fell for the addition then fell for only seven runs, when Alex Wakely sliced a drive to second slip, and the Glamorgan bowlers’ efforts were rewarded further when Richard Levi and Adam Rossington perished in quick succession.

Any hopes Glamorgan might have had of a further collapse were dashed by Ricardo Vasconelos (79) and Steven Crook (76) who extended Northants’ lead to over 300, and shared a partnership of 147 for the sixth wicket before the visitors declared.

Glamorgan had 33 overs to face in the evening session, and after a promising start, were soon 54 for two. Nick Selman gave cover point a simple catch from Procter’s second ball, then Jack Murphy, shortly after being struck on the helmet, guided one from Buck to third slip.

Khawaja after his century in the first innings, began by striking four boundaries, and followed by taking two more fours from Buck’s third over. Owen Morgan was more circumspect, but played every ball on merit, and the thirdwicket pair soon shared a 50-run stand.

After scoring 38, Khawaja was caught by Vasconelos at short leg, when the Australian struck the ball firmly off Prasanna, only to see the fielder juggle with it three times before eventually holding on.

Prasanna then took his second wicket when Morgan’s push was deflected by first slip to second with Glamorgan almost dead and buried.