Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, Lord’s (day two)
Northamptonshire 103 & 249-7: Zaib 83*; Gohar 3-57
Middlesex 255: Higgins 115; Sanderson 4-68
Northants (3 pts) lead Middlesex (4 pts) by 97 runs
Half-centuries for Saif Zaib and Ricardo Vasconcelos extended Northamptonshire’s dwindling promotion hopes on day two of their remaining County Championship fixture of the season with Middlesex at Lord’s.
Zaib, given a life on 25, battled his solution to an unbeaten 83 whereas the division’s main runscorer Vasconcelos made 69 to assist the guests attain 249-7 by stumps – a slender lead of 97 on a pitch giving some help to spin.
Zafar Gohar exploited that flip within the pitch to return 3-57 whereas Tom Helm’s two wickets with the brand new ball ensured Middlesex had been nonetheless on prime on the shut.
Whether or not or not their stout rearguard results in a win, Northamptonshire seem destined to come back up quick of their promotion push given Kent are presently effectively positioned to beat Gloucestershire at Canterbury and so safe second place.
The pitch had morphed in a single day from the seamer which had yielded 20 wickets on day one to an unresponsive floor save for some gradual flip.
It led to an attritional morning the place Vasconcelos and Luke Procter performed watchfully in opposition to tight bowling which largely lacked menace.
Vasconcelos escaped one lbw shout from Tom Helm on 17 which appeared adjoining, however aside from that was untroubled, two beautiful further cowl drives from his blade the pictures of a wicketless morning for the hosts.
They did not have to attend lengthy after lunch nonetheless, Danru Ferns snaring Proctor to the second ball following the resumption, although in reality the choice was a shocker, the ball putting the Steelers’ skipper on the thigh pad.
Lewis McManus, promoted to quantity three started positively, however Gohar’s entrance introduced a lot wanted theatre. Each ball it appeared grew to become an act in itself with early lbw shouts in opposition to each batters dismissed.
Undeterred, Gohar, who’d had one thing of a spat with the equally combative wicketkeeper McManus whereas batting on the primary night, produced one which turned away from the bat to be taken at slip by Helm.
It wasn’t lengthy earlier than he pinned Gus Miller in entrance with one which went straight on, however Zaib counter-attacked the spin, sweeping his first ball for 4 earlier than clubbing the left-armer over midwicket. Aggression although virtually his downfall when he pulled one from Ferns straight to deep sq. on 25 just for Ben Geddes to spill the reward.
By this time Vasconcelos’ watchful innings had handed 50 however Ferns gained recompense for Geddes’s spill when he ended the opener’s vigil with a Yorker which trapped him lbw.
When Gohar returned after tea to have Gross sales brilliantly caught at slip by Sam Robson the lead was solely 17.
Zaib although was taking advantage of his earlier reprieve, transferring to 50 full with six fours, earlier than dispatching a brief one from Toby Roland-Jones with the brand new ball over the ropes at midwicket.
Calvin Harrison stayed over an hour to assist add 51 earlier than being considered one of two victims in an over for Helm, however Ben Sanderson stored Zaib firm by means of to stumps to offer Northamptonshire hope heading into day three.
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