Northants fight back against Middlesex on day two
Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, County Ground, Northampton (day two)
Middlesex 341: Gohar 83, Cracknell 79, Geddes 65; Sanderson 5-62, Conway 3-74
Northamptonshire 229-4: McSweeney 87*, Sales 78*; Roland-Jones 2-49
Northants (3pts) trail Middlesex (3pts) by 112 with six wickets standing
Nathan McSweeney and James Sales combined in a commanding unbeaten century partnership to put Northamptonshire firmly back in contention at the close of day two of this Rothesay County Championship match against Middlesex at Wantage Road.
Australian international McSweeney hit a sparkling 87, while Sales struck 78, including 16 boundaries, as the pair helped the hosts recover after losing early wickets, adding 131 off 177 balls. Northamptonshire closed on 229 for four, trailing by 112 runs, Toby Roland-Jones taking two for 49 for the visitors.
Ben Sanderson claimed his second five wicket haul of the season as Middlesex were bowled out for 341 in the morning after resuming on 284 for six. Sanderson finished with figures of five for 62 while Harry Conway took three for 74.
Zafar Gohar was the last man out for a well-made 83 but picked up a groin injury while fielding early in Northamptonshire’s reply. Middlesex were given permission by the match referee to make their first injury substitution of the season, Luke Hollman coming in as his like-for-like replacement.
Earlier Gohar and Joe Cracknell extended their seventh wicket partnership to 140 before Cracknell (79) was caught at midwicket off Calvin Harrison. Roland-Jones was then well caught off the leading edge by George Bartlett at third slip, trying to work Sanderson to leg.
In a fiery burst with the new ball, Conway had Tom Helm ducking and weaving. Helm took on another short one from Sanderson though, only to top edge it to Conway at backward square.
Zafar found runs easier to come by, the highlight being a handsome straight drive off Sanderson. He was the last wicket to fall, caught off the top edge by Conway off his own bowling.
Northamptonshire had taken all 10 wickets in a Championship innings through catches for the first time in 21 years.
Middlesex’s bowlers found early movement, Luke Procter trapped lbw by Helm with Harrison departing next over without scoring, caught off the leading edge at cover.
Ricardo Vasconcelos (27) who got the bulk of the early runs, crisply upper cut a short ball from Helm, but fell on the stroke of lunch, edging Roland-Jones behind, to leave Northamptonshire 42 for three.
Northamptonshire picked up runs against Helm after lunch, McSweeney opening his account steering through midwicket before driving straight, while Saif Zaib collected consecutive well-timed boundaries.
McSweeney took a shine to Ryan Higgins’ medium pacers, taking three fours off one over, driving and punching square of the wicket and stroking majestically through extra cover.
He and Zaib marked their half-century partnership, but Naavya Sharma found some helpful away movement to entice Zaib into edging edge low to Sam Robson who held a well-judged catch at second slip.
McSweeney continued to find the boundary though, pulling Sharma and straight driving Roland-Jones before leaning into a flourishing square drive off Higgins to bring up his half-century.
Sales was distinctly unsettled early on, but he pulled Helm and drove through cover as he grew more composed. He brought up the 50 partnership with McSweeney just before tea when he edged Roland-Jones just wide of the slips.
Northamptonshire showed positive intent after the interval, scoring at over six an over. Sales led the charge, upper cutting Higgins over the slips and unfurling textbook cover drives off consecutive deliveries to reach his first half-century of the season. It continues his excellent form against the Seaxes, after centuries in each of the past two seasons.
McSweeney flashed one through the slips but brought up the century partnership in style by smashing Sharma back past him. Sales meanwhile showed disdain in putting away a Hollman half-tracker to take Northamptonshire past 200.
The runs kept coming, Sales opening the face to steer Higgins down to third before playing a decisive cut to backward point before the players went off for bad light.
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