Kellaway shines as Glam pile pressure on Northants

Ben Kellaway has scored 481 runs this season at an average of 68

Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Cardiff (day two)

Northamptonshire 185: Procter 61; Fernando 3-28, Gorvin 3-36

& 49-3: Procter 30*, Gorvin 2-3

Glamorgan 424 (107.1 overs): Kellaway 95, Northeast 67, Van der Gugten 61, Carlson 54; Broad 3-82, Conway 3-99

Northamptonshire (3 pts) trail Glamorgan (7 pts) by 190 runs with seven second-innings wickets standing

Glamorgan strengthened their grip on the match against Northants with the visitors on 49-3 in their second innings, still 190 behind.

In-form all-rounder Ben Kellaway led the way for Glamorgan with a fluent 95 off just 104 balls in their total of 424.

Captain Sam Northeast (67) played a calm support role to Kiran Carlson's dashing 54 and Kellaway's exciting knock, while Timm van der Gugten's 61 made sure Glamorgan picked up four batting points.

Justin Broad, the pick of the attack on day two, and Harry Conway picked up three wickets apiece, but the visitors toiled as the pitch appeared to ease in the sun.

Glamorgan seamer Andy Gorvin took two wickets in the penultimate over as Northants struggled to survive.

Resuming on 82-3, Glamorgan made good early headway led by Carlson who found the gaps in the field in an attractive half-century in a stand of 96 with Sam Northeast, before Ben Sanderson snared Carlson into flicking a catch to short backward square leg.

But Northants could not keep the pressure on despite two very tight spells from captain Luke Procter, leading by example as he also threw himself into a couple of boundary saves.

While Northeast reached a patient 50 off 120 balls, the prolific Kellaway was quickly into his stride to take Glamorgan ahead before lunch.

The 21 year old all-rounder, who hit a career-best 181 not out at Canterbury in the previous match, was again in sparkling form with some sumptuous off-drives and a lofted straight six off leg-spinner Calvin Harrison.

Northeast played a composed supporting role in a partnership of 141 before he edged Justin Broad to slip.

Kellaway looked set for three figures when Harrison got one to bounce and he was caught behind.

But the double breakthrough did not end the visitors' suffering as Chris Cooke (36) and Van der Gugten added 87, the Netherlands international striking nine fours, before Broad dismissed both.

Opening bowlers Conway and Sanderson returned to wrap up the innings belatedly as Northants at least maintained their 100% record on bowling points in 2025.

With 14 overs for the visitors to bat, James Harris had Ricardo Vasconcelos caught at slip for one.

The hard-working Procter and George Bartlett looked set to bat out the final 40 minutes of the day.

But in the penultimate over Bartlett was given lbw to Gorvin, who then trapped nightwatchman Calvin Harrison plumb leg-before second ball to deepen Northants' misery.

Glamorgan captain Sam Northeast told BBC Sport Wales:

"A really good day, we've put ourselves in a commanding position and we've got to do it again now.

"Kiran and Kellers played really well around me today while I was grinding away, nice to spend time in the middle to build those partnerships and put a score on the board, hopefully in a winning cause.

"Ben's playing with such confidence and calmness, we always knew he had the talent, but to put it all together is really great to see.

"We've been playing some good cricket, starting against Derbyshire, then a good performance down in Kent and we've continued that.

"When we started poorly (in the first three games) teams were all over us, setting attacking fields, but the plan is always to start well. We've improved our skills, guys have grown in confidence as we've played better on days one and two (of each game)."

Northants batting coach Greg Smith told BBC Radio Northampton:

"It's backs against the wall now, losing those two (wickets) at the end didn't help with a questionable decision which is going against us massively, it could have been 50 for one.

"The guys will have to dig deep, try to bat the day and get some big hundreds.

"To get bowled out for 185 wasn't good enough, the batters need to show some character and play for personal pride with some big scores.

"We didn't bowl amazingly well, but that's fine, they've bowled well every other game.

"The batters need to play straight, they keep playing across the line and if they do that they're going to miss the ball and get out."