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Vasconcelos ton gives Northants edge over Worcs
TL;DR
Northamptonshire leads Worcestershire by 60 runs in the Rothesay County Championship, with Vasconcelos scoring 115 runs. Worcestershire managed 306 runs in their first innings.
Key points
- Northamptonshire scored 366-5 in their innings
- Vasconcelos scored 115 runs
- Worcestershire scored 306 runs
- Sanderson took 4 wickets for 78 runs
- Northamptonshire leads by 60 runs
NorthamptonshireWorcestershireRothesay County ChampionshipVasconcelos
Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, County Ground, Northampton (day two)
Worcestershire 306: Roderick 164*, Lategan 32, Brookes 32; Sanderson 4-78
Northamptonshire 366-5: Vasconcelos 115, Zaib 75, Sales 44*; Taylor 2-60
Northamptonshire 3pts, Worcestershire 2pts
Ricardo Vasconcelos struck a superb second century of the season as Northamptonshire took a 60-run lead over Worcestershire after day two of the County Championship Division Two match at Wantage Road.
It was a contrasting innings of watchful defence and crisp strokeplay, as Vasconcelos struck 18 boundaries in his 115, to follow his 127 against Kent last month.
He was joined by Saif Zaib in a proactive fourth-wicket stand of 101 in 20 overs. County cricket's leading run-scorer last season, Zaib has had limited opportunities so far but seized his chance with a near run-a-ball 75.
When the pair were parted, James Sales (44) and George Bartlett (35) combined in a telling unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 79 against the new ball to push Northamptonshire in front.
They closed on 366-5, leading by 60, as bad light ended play early.
Tom Taylor (2-60) and Oliver Hannon-Dalby threatened all day for the Pears, finding late swing with the second new ball, while Beyers Swanepoel also took two wickets.
Earlier, Northamptonshire resumed on 40-0 and soon lost skipper Luke Procter when Taylor got one to lift sharply and hit the splice of the bat, the ball flying to second slip.
Calvin Harrison edged his first ball past the slips to bring up Northamptonshire's 50 before driving sweetly in Taylor's next over, and he and Vasconcelos were progressing nicely, adding 43 off 55 balls, when Harrison inside-edged a Beyers Swanepoel delivery onto his stumps.
Vasconcelos motored to fifty with three consecutive boundaries, crunching Swanepoel through the covers and pulling him behind square. He tucked into Adam Finch's bowling too, going down on one knee to stroke him through cover and playing an audacious uppercut over the slips.
He put on 77 for the third wicket with Nathan McSweeney who initially found life difficult during a probing spell from Waite. The Australian found release, though, as he settled against Finch, punching through extra cover.
Q&A
What was Vasconcelos' contribution to Northamptonshire's innings?
Vasconcelos scored 115 runs in Northamptonshire's innings.
How many runs did Worcestershire score in their first innings?
Worcestershire scored 306 runs in their first innings.
What are the current points for Northamptonshire and Worcestershire?
Northamptonshire has 3 points while Worcestershire has 2 points.
Who took the most wickets for Northamptonshire against Worcestershire?
Sanderson took the most wickets for Northamptonshire, claiming 4 wickets for 78 runs.