[themaclad]

DAY 1

A superb century by Saif Zaib and a vital 92 from James Sales helped put Northamptonshire into the strong position of 355 for five against Lancashire after being put in to bat on the opening day of this Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at Emirates Old Trafford.

It proved to be an excellent day with the bat for the visitors as Lancashire’s attack, featuring West Indies’ pace bowler Anderson Phillip for the first time this season along with loan signing John Turner, were made to work hard on a wicket not offering the bowlers much assistance.

Luke Procter made 64 and shared a century partnership for the third wicket with Sales during the first half of the day, and the latter then forged another excellent 97-run alliance with Saib Zaib for the fifth either side of tea.

Zaib reached his fourth first-class hundred from 149 balls (1 six, 14 fours) just before the close, ending the day unbeaten on 111 after forging another good partnership of 99 with Lewis McManus (40 not out).



After two poor batting performances last week against Kent, Northamptonshire must have feared a potential repeat when they were 54 for two just an hour into the opening day, seamer George Balderson having Ricardo Vasconcelos caught behind for 16 and George Bartlett falling lbw for the same score to a searing yorker from overseas quick Phillip during a lively early spell.

Visiting skipper Procter, who produced a typically calm and unhurried innings, found an ally in Sales and the pair staged a superb fightback either side of lunch with a mixture of solid defence and a number of attractive drives. Procter, who reached 5,000 runs for Northamptonshire in all forms of cricket during his innings, was the first to go to his half century from 107 balls with Sales taking a brisker 78 balls to arrive at the same landmark in a 104-run partnership across 29 overs.



It was loan signing Turner, handed his Red Rose debut cap at the start of play by James Anderson – before the news of Anderson’s impending knighthood broke – who made the breakthrough for Lancashire midway through the afternoon. The England fast bowler had made a tentative start earlier in the day but produced a much better sustained effort during his second spell and was rewarded when Procter gloved a leg side delivery to wicketkeeper Matty Hurst for 64.



Balderson backed that up by trapping Rob Keogh lbw for a duck in the next over to leave the visitors on 159 for four.

The day was in the balance at that point, but Sales and Saib Zaib responded with a good, positive partnership that added 75 in 17 overs by tea, with Zaib becoming the third Northamptonshire batter to post a half century soon after the break from 70 balls.

Just when a third first-class career century beckoned Sales departed eight runs short to an injudicious shot, aiming to hit Tom Hartley over the top but picking out Marcus Harris at wide mid-on instead.



Zaib, who pulled Phillip over square leg for six, and McManus negotiated the rest of the day – and the arrival of the new ball to leave Northamptonshire in excellent shape going into day two.

“The pitch offered quite a bit up top and we were hopeful that it would continue throughout the day, but obviously it flattened out a bit,” was John Turner’s assessment at the close of play.

“We stuck at it well, I thought,” he added. “The bowlers kept on running in, kept on asking the right questions, and kept on challenging the batsmen.

“I think we just needed to dry up the runs at the same time, make life a bit uncomfortable for them. We went to the short ball plan a few times and that didn't get us any wickets necessarily, but it did get the questions into the batsman's mind.



“We have to just keep plugging away and being consistent on one length. It's not quick by any means, but it's quick enough to score some runs. And there are enough balls in there that keep you interested. If you hit the deck hard, something will happen eventually.”

And Turner is delighted for the opportunity his loan signing brings.

“It's great to be here, see the environment and get the opportunity to play some red ball championship cricket,” he said.

“I haven't done a lot of that recently or throughout my career really. So it's about just trying to play as much as I can to progress my career and I just want to help teams win games.

“I'm really enjoying my time at Lancashire. It's a really massive club, obviously unbelievable history and heritage, and they've been really welcoming to me. So, so far, I've really enjoyed it.”

DAY 2

Keaton Jennings remains unbeaten on 60 as Lancashire made 139 for four in reply to Northamptonshire’s 496 all out on the second day of this Rothesay County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford.

Justin Broad took two wickets to have Lancashire in early difficulties before Jennings and Marcus Harris steadied matters with a partnership of 84 before the latter fell just before the close followed by nightwatchman Anderson Phillip in the final over with Lancashire trailing by 357 runs going into the third day.

Jennings, whose lowest effort in his three early season innings is 49, looked in great touch, pulling consecutive deliveries from Broad for four and six on his way to his half century from 117 balls.



Broad struck twice following his introduction to the attack in the 11th over, his fourth delivery finding just enough movement to trap Michael Jones lbw for 14 with the score on 22 before removing Josh Bohannon for five with a delivery that ripped out the batters off stump.

Harris played some free-flowing drives in making 43 but fell to a great diving catch at midwicket by Broad off Raphy Weatherall five overs before stumps.

At the start of the day, Saib Zaib could only add five runs to his overnight 111 before edging behind off Phillip attempting to repeat the drive that had earned him four runs the previous ball.



Broad helped McManus boost the total by 48 runs until he was run out for 19 by Tom Bailey’s direct hit from midwicket as the visitors reached the 110-over mark on 405 for seven.

McManus, who had reached his fifty earlier from 97 balls, marshalled the lower order superbly during the first half of the day and found a willing assistant in Calvin Harrison. The loan signing from Nottinghamshire gave steady support in an 81-run partnership inside 30 overs for the eighth wicket that included reverse sweeping Hartley for four to reach his half century from 87 balls.



It proved to be a frustrating passage of play for Lancashire who bowled spinners Hartley and Luke Wells in tandem for the final 33 overs of the innings in an attempt to dry up the run scoring and exert some pressure.

The innings ended abruptly with the final three wickets falling for 12 runs, starting when McManus became the second Northamptonshire batter to fall agonisingly short of a hundred in two days.

Having seen David Sales perish for 92 yesterday, McManus departed in similar fashion on 95, top-edging a front foot slog off a Wells delivery pushed wider that went high to Bohannon at mid-off. Hartley (3-91) then wrapped things up bowling both Guthrie for a duck and Harrison for 56.



“It was a tough day,” admitted Tom Hartley.

“It was not ideal losing that last wicket at the end, but I thought we battled hard.

“We just had to graft that out really. We got the wickets this morning in the end, but that's a healthy total for them.

“The pitch wasn't doing a whole lot that first day. The ball didn't really spin though apart from a bit out of the rough towards the end. We felt like we could have bowled a bit better at times, but in general, I thought we were good.

“It was just good to get overs in the bank, show what I can do, and to finish with three was pretty nice. For me, it just allows me to bowl a few more variations. It's probably something I should take into shorter spells, but I think it's just good learning for me overall.”



“It’s about getting that balance right of still tying people down but not making it too easy for them. And I think for me, especially on pitches like that, throwing in a lot of changes and pace variations is important. I think if I bowl six of the same a few times, a few overs in a row, I think people get used to it.

“Throwing in variations, even three, four an over, I think is quite key for me, just to keep people in the crease and sort of guessing a little bit more.

“I think with the weather we've been having, I think the pitches could suit a lot more spin this year. So, I'm just really excited to really do well this game, hopefully take a few wickets in the second innings on a bit more of a turning wicket and then just play consistently, hopefully, throughout the summer.”