Labuschagne gives Glamorgan lead over Northants

Marnus Labuschagne is playing the third of four Championship matches for Glamorgan this year

Vitality County Championship D2, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (day two)

Northants 279: Gay 65; Van der Gugten 3-39, Gorvin 3-50, Harris 3-99

Glamorgan 390-8: Labuschagne 93, Carlson 71, Cooke 58; Procter 3-38

Glamorgan 6 pts, Northants 3 pts

Match scorecard

A sparkling innings of 93 from Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne was the highlight for Glamorgan as they reached 390-8 on day two of their County Championship Division Two game, a significant lead of 111 over Northants.

Labuschagne’s runs came off just 124 balls including 16 boundaries.

Kiran Carlson’s 71 was the best of the supporting cast in Cardiff, as scoring was rarely easy in overcast conditions and with some variable bounce.

Captain Luke Procter (3-38) was the pick of an inexperienced visitors’ attack.

Resuming on 36-0, Eddie Byrom and Billy Root took the score to 63 before Byrom edged to slip for 22 in Liam Patterson-White’s first over, at the start of a hard-working day for the left-arm spinner..

Root took a sharp blow to the hand but battled to 41 before being trapped lbw by a ball from Justin Broad which kept low.

That brought Labuschagne and Carlson together as they quickly went on the offensive either side of the lunch interval.

Labuschagne was in such prime form, timing and placing the ball beautifully, that he dominated the stand of 140 in 31.1 overs for the third wicket with the usually aggressive Carlson.

Glamorgan were well on top when Broad (2-78) won another leg-before shout when Labuschagne was trying to leg-glance.

Teenage paceman Raphy Weatherall (2-62) quickly had Sam Northeast caught behind for four in a useful spell as the visitors fought back, and Carlson fell to the accurate Procter on his 36th birthday with Glamorgan still behind.

But Chris Cooke and Timm van der Gugten put together a useful gritty partnership of 68 as the Dutch international justified his elevation in the order with 41, before Procter returned to remove him and Harry Podmore with the new ball.

Cooke worked hard for his 58 before Weatherall had him caught at slip, but James Harris (26 not out) helped take the lead into three figures as Glamorgan finished the second day on top.

Glamorgan’s Marnus Labuschagne told BBC Sport Wales:

“I went out there with a nice clear mind, I worked on a few little technical changes in the week and I’m always trying to get better, to get my technique in a space where I feel confident.

“I’m always thinking about my game and ways to get better and more consistent, so it was nice on a wicket like that, that had a lot in it for the bowlers, to a way to get runs.

“The ball’s seaming quite consistently but Chris played beautifully, as did Timm, and Kiran and I built a nice partnership on a wicket that’s quite unlike Cardiff.

“I’ve played two Championship matches, a loss and a draw, so it would be really nice to walk away with a win and put some pressure on Gloucestershire next week.”

Northants’ Raphy Weatherall told BBC Radio Northampton:

“We’ve got a young and inexperienced bowling attack but Luke Procter showed us how to bowl, bashing away at the top of off stump so we can be pretty happy with how we bowled.

“It’s brilliant having Luke setting an example for us three youngsters, as a captain he’s always communicating.

“It’s pretty surreal to bowl at Marnus Labuschagne after watching him on the telly, a good challenge to compete against him, and the same in the Blast where you’re playing the likes of Joe Root and Dawid Malan.”