Roderick leads Pears fightback against Northants

Gareth Roderick's century was his 13th in first-class cricket [Getty Images]

Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, County Ground, Northampton (day one)

Worcestershire 306: Roderick 164*, Lategan 32, Brookes 32; Sanderson 4-78

Northamptonshire 40-0: Vasconcelos 22*, Procter 18*

Northamptonshire 3pts, Worcestershire 2pts

Match scorecard

Gareth Roderick played a brilliant lone hand with a combative unbeaten 164, Worcestershire's first hundred of the summer, to force the Pears into a commanding position after an early collapse against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

The visitors rued their decision to bat after slumping to 186-9 on day one of this County Championship match, before loanee Oliver Hannon-Dalby joined Roderick at the crease.

The pair frustrated the home side for two hours, mounting a last-wicket stand of 120, a new Worcestershire record against Northants before they were bowled out for 306.

Roderick had maintained his composure as wickets fell around him, stroking the ball fluently all around the ground.

He offered just one chance on 95 when he drilled one back hard at leg-spinner Calvin Harrison, who could not hold the catch and Hannon-Dalby (26) proved the perfect foil, going 30 balls without scoring before starting to locate the boundary as the ball grew soft and the hosts let the game drift.

Ben Sanderson finished with figures of 4-78, while there were two wickets each for Harrison and Raphy Weatherall.

Northamptonshire openers Ricardo Vasconcelos and Luke Procter survived a tricky 14 overs before the close, finishing on 40-0.

Earlier Worcestershire quickly lost Jake Libby in the day's second over, to a good low catch at second slip by Harrison off Harry Conway.

Dan Lategan (32) played positively, driving crisply and punching through the covers, but he perished in the same manner when he drove loosely against Sanderson and nicked behind.

Weatherall was wayward in his opening over before honing his radar, but removed Adam Hose caught down the legside by a diving Lewis McManus.