MATCH REPORT Northamptonshire prosper after Gay hits century in record partnership
Emilio Gay struck a fine century and Luke Procter made 75 in a double-century partnership that helped Northamptonshire recover from a poor start of 59 for three to close the day in the ascendency on 302 for five, with George Balderson taking 3 for 29.
The partnership of 207 between Gay and Procter set a new Northamptonshire fourth-wicket record against Lancashire, eclipsing the 158 between Mushtaq Mohammad and Jim Watts at Liverpool in 1972, and having enjoyed that early success, the day turned into one of toil for the Lancashire bowlers on a good batting track.
With little preparation time after the Test Match that finished just 48 hours earlier, the match is being played on the same wicket used on four of the days of the Ashes contest and Lancashire made early inroads after visiting skipper Procter had won the toss.
Three early wickets fell, with all the batters partly culpable in their own downfall.
Having weathered the opening nine overs from Tom Bailey and Will Williams, Ricardo Vasconcelos launched a fierce drive at Balderson’s first delivery but only succeeded in finding Steven Croft at backward point having made 9.
Balderson was soon celebrating again, six balls later in fact, when Justin Broad clipped the first ball of his second over straight to midwicket where Jack Morley took a good low catch.
And the third wicket in this sequence followed thirty minutes before lunch when Sam Whiteman, Northamptonshire's overseas left-hand bat from Western Australia, gave Morley the charge but was beaten by a delivery, pushed wider, that spun through to Phil Salt who completed a neat stumping.
All the while Gay had produced some dogged resistance to counter Lancashire’s early successes and he finally found support from Procter in a partnership that steered the visitors safely through to lunch on 74 for three, before blossoming across the afternoon and evening.
It was the first time Northamptonshire have negotiated a session without losing a wicket since May 2022, with 117 runs added in 34 overs, and the only chance offered was a sharp one when Gay, on 60, edged a drive off Morley that flew very quickly to slip where a diving Keaton Jennings could only parry the ball.
Otherwise, Gay and Procter batted with great composure to move steadily through to tea and beyond, Gay reaching his fourth first-class century – and first since last September – from 191 balls when driving Bailey for his tenth boundary.
Procter was solid at the other end until he was beaten by Williams, armed with the new ball, to be lbw for a determined 75 from a delivery that nipped back.
And Gay fell agonisingly one run short of equalling his career-best when the Northamptonshire opener edged behind to Salt for an excellent 144 to give Balderson his third wicket.
Saif Zaib, dropped on 12 at gully off Balderson, and nightwatchman Dom Leech – signed this week on a short-term loan from Yorkshire – reached stumps on 17 and 2 respectively with Northamptonshire claiming just their second and third batting points of the season.
“It was a tough day. I thought we stuck in there really well,” said George Balderson.
“Sometimes you just have to take it on the chin and say they probably had the best of the day, but it doesn’t mean we can’t fight back over the next three.” he added.
“There’s still a little bit in the pitch with the new ball,” was Balderson’s assessment of this used pitch. “Once the ball gets old it’s very slow. It’s tough for the seamers, without a lot of movement in it.
Lancashire bowled 48 overs of spin on this first day – half of the day’s allocation – and Balderson said: “The spin is only coming when you land it right in the footholds. If you don’t land it there, it’s nice to bat against the spinners as well.
“We will have to see how the pitch deteriorates over the new few days. You think it would, with the fact it now has five days’ cricket on it. But you never know.
“I’ve played on pitches here where you get to day four and it’s the flattest it’s been all game. We will just have to play what’s in front of us.”
Balderson had pretty decent bowling figures on a tough day and he admitted: “It was a relief to get those wickets towards the end. They (Gay and Procter) both played very nicely and made it hard for us.
“They were very disciplined and when a batter is disciplined on a pitch like that, it’s hard to make a breakthrough. We’re relying on trying to be patient and wait for an error. If they are disciplined and don’t give us a lot, it’s a tough battle.”
Looking ahead, Balderson added: “I think it will be a key first session tomorrow.
“If we can take these five wickets rather sharply and set about trying to get a first innings lead, I think that will be crucial in this game.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Barry Mitchell, Luke Adams, George Franks
