Sales century puts Northants on top against Leics
James Sales hit a career-best 135 for Northants against Leicestershire
- Published
Vitality County Championship Division Two, Northampton (day two)
Leicestershire 203: Budinger 56; Chahal 4-82 & 69-4: Patel 35; Chahal 2-22
Northamptonshire 383: Sales 135, Zaib 71; Holland 4-53
Leicestershire (3 pts) trail Northants (6 pts) by 111 runs with six wickets remaining
James Sales hit a career-best 135 as Northamptonshire piled on the runs on day two of their County Championship match against Leicestershire at Wantage Road.
The 21-year-old was dropped on 86 and 121 but produced an otherwise fluent knock.
Sales and Rob Keogh (49) extended their overnight partnership to 117 before the latter was trapped lbw by England leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed.
The runs kept flowing during Sales’ stand of 131 off just 134 deliveries with a resourceful Saif Zaib.
Stroking a run-a-ball 71, Zaib garnered most of his runs from the sweep and reverse sweep as he put the spinners to the sword.
Leicestershire seamer Ian Holland found some inswing with the second new ball to end Sales’ innings, helping wrap up the tail to finish with figures of 4-53 as the hosts were bowled out for 383 to take a first innings lead of 180.
In reply, Northants' India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal claimed two wickets as Leicestershire closed on 69-4 – still trailing by 111.
Jack White struck immediately with the fifth ball of Leicestershire’s reply. Sol Budinger, top scorer in the first innings, fell without scoring when he played inside the line of one which hit the top of off-stump.
Rishi Patel (35) and Holland (11) found scoring tough going and the latter was eventually stumped off Chahal as he advanced down the wicket.
With Keogh unable to bowl due to his back injury, Northamptonshire turned to Zaib to bowl his slow left-armers and he soon accounted for Patel when he flicked a half volley on leg stump straight to Sales at short mid-wicket.
Leicestershire quickly lost another when Ahmed danced down the wicket to Chahal, missed and was stumped by McManus.
