Glamorgan seamers enjoy good day against Northants
Andrew Gorvin has taken 12 wickets in three Championship matches this season
- Published
Vitality County Championship D2, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (day one)
Northants 279 (86.3 overs): Gay 65; Van der Gugten 3-39, Gorvin 3-50, Harris 3-99
Glamorgan 36-0 (7 overs):
Glamorgan 3 pts Northants 1 pt
Glamorgan’s seamers enjoyed the cloudy conditions as Northants were bowled out for 279 on a largely green Cardiff wicket.
Timm van der Gugten, Andy Gorvin and James Harris claimed three wickets apiece.
Emilio Gay hit 65, but Northants needed late lower-order resistance to earn them a respectable total after choosing to bat.
Glamorgan reached 36-0 in the final seven overs of day one.
Glamorgan are without “rested” South African batter Colin Ingram while seamer Harry Podmore plays his first four-day game in more than a year.
Meanwhile the visitors made five changes from their last Championship match with strike bowler Ben Sanderson missing as they gave first-class county debuts to India’s Prithvi Shaw and young all-rounder Gus Miller.
Northants quickly lost Ricardo Vasconcelos, bowled by Harris for seven, and the prolific Shaw, edging to slip for two.
Gay and Procter led a solid revival in a partnership of 90, though Gay survived a confident lbw appeal from Podmore on 31.
The opener had struck 10 boundaries before Gorvin found the edge of his bat just after lunch in a tight spell of seam.
Rob Keogh (28) and Procter (48) took the score past 150 before the ball started moving around more in mid-afternoon, Van der Gugten beating the bat repeatedly before having Keogh caught at slip.
Podmore, the economical Gorvin and Harris claimed wickets in a fruitful afternoon bowling session as Northants slipped to 204-7 at tea.
But the visitors’ lower order reversed the momentum again as loanee Liam Patterson-White chipped in with a useful 30, while the ninth-wicket pair of Miller and Raphy Weatherall took them to the first batting point.
Miller struck a pair of sixes, making 40 in a confident first Championship innings before Van der Gugten wrapped up the innings, although they will have to make up time in the second innings after a poor over-rate.
Facing a tricky late spell in poor light, Glamorgan openers Eddie Byrom and Billy Root made a solid start for the home side.
Glamorgan’s Andy Gorvin told BBC Sport Wales:
“After losing the toss we’re probably quite happy with that situation, we bowled quite well after the first session which went a bit their way and we’ve had a solid day.
“There’s enough (help) in the pitch if you bowl good areas. It’ll be interesting to see how it potentially deteriorates in the sun so hopefully we’ll bat long (in the first innings). The last game here against Middlesex, it did spin on the last day."
“Our T20 week was difficult, so hopefully a change of format and pace might suit us and hopefully we can go into the T20 block with a bit more form in the next couple of (Championship) weeks.”
Northants’ debutant all-rounder Gus Miller told BBC Radio Northampton:
“It was a very proud moment for myself, I didn’t think this morning I would have much to do today, but I was glad to get an opportunity with the bat.
“I knew I was playing about quarter to 10 so I didn’t have too long to dwell on it.
“We put on a decent partnership with Liam Patterson-White to get the guys what I think is a competitive score on that wicket. If we can contain the (Glamorgan) rate I think it’s going to get harder to bat on.”
