Northamptonshire v Glamorgan: Day 2 report

Final score - Northants won by an innings and 22 runs  

Glamorgan: 101 & 187 (65.3 ov)

Northamptonshire: 310

Day two report

Ben Sanderson steered Northamptonshire to success over Glamorgan inside two days to make sure they started the Specsavers County Championship season in the perfect fashion.

Sanderson took four second-innings wickets to set up victory by an innings and 22 runs in the Division Two match at Wantage Road.

Northamptonshire extended their lead to 209 runs in the morning session and wrapped up victory after tea, dismissing Glamorgan for 187 in their second innings.

The hosts took until August to win a Championship match last season but they got off the mark at the first attempt this time around, succeeding in the opening game of the season for the first time since 1995.

Sanderson claimed two wickets in his opening spell but it was his probing effort after lunch that caught the eye most - conditions eased and he gave nothing away.

Rory Kleinveldt again played his part with three wickets to finish with six in the match, while Nathan Buck rounded off a winning debut with the final scalp 11 overs before the scheduled close.

Glamorgan suffered against the new ball in 45 minutes before lunch.

Jacques Rudolph, after a confident start getting to 21, attempted to pull Sanderson and edged to wicketkeeper Adam Rossington.

Nick Selman defended Kleinveldt from the crease and played into his stumps, then Sanderson had David Lloyd held low at first slip by Ben Duckett to complete a pair.

Reeling at 32 for three at lunch, Glamorgan lost a fourth wicket six overs into the afternoon session as Sanderson slid a delivery back into the right-handed Aneurin Donald, trapping him lbw for 15.

A partnership was desperately required to try to avoid humiliation and Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke settled to share a half-century for the fifth wicket.

However, Cooke's patience against the probing Sanderson ended as he looked to pull a rare short ball but only found Steven Crook at midwicket. It was reward for the bowler's persistence, his 19 overs yielding only 31 runs.

Ingram was patient and drove well when the opportunity arose but in the final over before tea he was deceived by a flighted delivery from left-arm spinner Graeme White that turned from the footholds and was bowled for 47.

Craig Meschede handed White a second wicket when he swung wildly and lost his middle stump, before Kleinveldt returned to have Harry Podmore caught behind and Kieran Carlson caught hooking at long leg. Marchant de Lange then slapped Buck to mid-on to end the match.

Earlier, the hosts had extended their first-innings lead to 209 in 16.1 overs in the morning.

Kleinveldt failed to fire again after his 23-ball half-century on the first evening, adding 15 more to his overnight score before mistiming a drive to extra-cover. He walked off for 86 and the wait for a maiden first-class century for the county continues.

Crook fell with the seventh ball of the morning when he was leg before wicket to Lukas Carey and White was held at second slip by Selman to hand de Lange a second wicket of the innings.

The same bowler was driven for four by Sanderson to bring up a third batting bonus point and ensure Northamptonshire begin the campaign with a 22-point haul.

Day one report

Rory Kleinveldt took three wickets and smashed a 23-ball half-century as Northamptonshire dominated the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship clash with Glamorgan.

The former South Africa all-rounder first helped fire out Glamorgan for just 101 before finishing the day unbeaten on 71 as the hosts closed on 268 for six, a lead of 167.

Kleinveldt took three for 35 among a fine performance from the Northamptonshire seamers. Nathan Buck, on debut, and Ben Sanderson also took three wickets each as Glamorgan were bundled out in only 31.3 overs after winning the toss.

Then late in the day, 34-year-old Kleinveldt returned to smash the Glamorgan bowling all over Wantage Road in a power-packed display.

In just 23 balls he heaved away seven four and three sixes - the pick of which a flat slap over long-on to bring up his half-century - to push Northamptonshire towards a match-winning lead.

With the ball, Kleinveldt set up the day with two early wickets, dismissing Nick Selman and David Lloyd for ducks, before Buck produced a dream start to his Northamptonshire career.

Buck arrived from Lancashire over the winter with the aim of reviving a career that began with much promise at Leicestershire but stalled during two injury-affected seasons in the north west.

However, the 25-year-old shone on day one against Glamorgan as he showed the ability that brought him England Lions selection.

He struck second ball, drawing an edge from Colin Ingram to wicketkeeper Adam Rossington. Then, in the next over, a full delivery trapped Chris Cooke lbw for a six-ball duck and Kiran Carlson followed with an edge to Alex Wakely, who took a sharp catch low down at second slip.

The hat-trick was not to be but Buck had helped plunge Glamorgan to 26 for six.

Sanderson was equally as probing with the new ball and removed captain Jacques Rudolph caught at second slip for nine. He returned after lunch to induce an edge from Harry Podmore that was sharply held by Richard Levi at third slip as Glamorgan found themselves nine down with only 88 on the scoreboard.

It took several heaves from number 10 Marchant de Lange - one a wild edge that flew for six over the slip cordon - to nudge Glamorgan into three figures but De Lange was last man out soon after, swinging at Sanderson and losing his off stump.

It was a poor effort from the visitors with the bat, but they tried to fight back with the ball and reduced Northamptonshire to 27 for three with Rob Newton, Ben Duckett and Max Holden falling for the addition of two runs.

However, Wakely and Rossington shared 65 for the fourth wicket to guide the home side out of trouble before the former fell to a top-edged pull for 38. Rossington then went in the same fashion, but only after an attractive 58.

His innings, though, was completely overshadowed by Kleinveldt.

He survived an early scare when he pulled shot to Carlson on the deep square boundary, only for the fielder to run out of room in trying to complete the catch. But thereafter used his power to brutal effect and leave Northamptonshire in a strong position, finishing the day with four sixes and eight fours off just 42 balls.