Northants miss out on promotion and rue Trent Bridge go-slow

Report

If they had avoided a five-point deduction for a slow overrate at Trent Bridge, Northants would have pipped Notts for promotion. As it was their final victory had a bittersweet taste

2:24

County Championship Round-up: Somerset survive, Middlesex drop

Championship round-up: Somerset stay up, but despair for Middlesex (2:24)

Northants 202 (Procter 82, Raine 5-54) and 197 for 4 (Procter 94) beat Leicestershire 128 (Sanderson 5-39, Gleeson 5-49) and 270 (Cosgrove 80, Kerrigan 4-62)

Northamptonshire’s ninth victory of the season, completed with some ease in benign batting conditions at Grace Road, had a bitter-sweet element for the men from Wantage Road.

Events at Hove, where Nottinghamshire needed only to draw with Sussex to confirm they would take the second promotion place from Division Two, meant that Northamptonshire finish the season third – and it will be little consolation that no team has made more of its’ collective ability.

Northants were left to particularly rue the five-point deduction suffered after defeat at Trent Bridge in late August for a slow over-rate. It was a tough time for Northants in the field as they suffered several injuries, including that of the captain Wakely, with Rory Kleinveldt taking over, and to bowl in stifling conditions on the hottest spell of the season.

Without that penalty, however, Northants would have finished level on points with Notts – and ahead of them on wins.

As for Leicestershire, they were consigned to a winless season.

Northants head coach David Ripley said: “We’ve really played well through the back end of the season, in some adversity, including in this game with losing Rory Kleinveldt.

“It is frustrating that nine wins isn’t enough, especially with the points deducted in Nottingham – we deserved the deduction, but the circumstances were extraordinary.

“The bowlers did a remarkable job, Richard Gleeson at the end of the season has been outstanding, Ben Sanderson has been Mr Consistency, and Rory Kleinveldt has taken 50 wickets – winning games is about taking 20 wickets, and more often than not we’ve done that.

“We’ve got some good players, and they’ve all contributed, but of there’s an area we’re looking to improve it’s in the batting and turning good scores into big, match-winning scores. We’re talking to Luke Procter – we need to recruit someone who can challenge our batters for a spot, and him coming in would do that.”

Perhaps in sympathy, the conditions were very much in favour of the visitors, as has been the case throughout this game. Batting has been at its most difficult in the first hour or so of the morning, when the ball has swung and seamed, so the fact a saturated outfield outfield prevented play starting until 12.40pm was ideal for Northants, who began the day needing another 180 to win with ten second innings wickets in hand.

By the time play began, a bright sun had taken any menace out of the atmosphere and indeed the pitch. Northants did lose Rob Newton, the opener pushing lazily at a wide delivery from left-arm seamer Dieter Klein to edge a catch behind, but Procter and Wakely added 121 for the second wicket in good time and – an early possible run-out of Wakely aside – without real alarm before Wakely top-edged a pull and was well caught by Sam Evans at deep backward square.

Two more wickets fell after the break, Richard Levi palpably leg before swishing across the line at Callum Parkinson – the young left-armer very much one of Leicestershire’s few positives this season – and Procter, with a hundred very much on the cards, also leg before to a Raine delivery that kept a little low.

Procter, on loan from Lancashire, had a fine match at the top of the order, dismissed only once in making 176 runs.

Note: This article have been indexed to our site. We do not claim legitimacy, ownership or copyright of any of the content above. To see the article at original source Click Here

Related Posts
Dusan Vlahovic may spurn Arsenal for Juventus, but needs to learn from Ballon d’Or winner Roberto Baggio whose switch from Fiorentina left 50 injured in riots thumbnail

Dusan Vlahovic may spurn Arsenal for Juventus, but needs to learn from Ballon d’Or winner Roberto Baggio whose switch from Fiorentina left 50 injured in riots

We’re clearly going to be hearing Dusan Vlahovic’s name more and more, but for Fiorentina fans, their hero could soon become a pariah. The Serbian striker is attracting Erling Haaland-like attention with his incredible goal-scoring in Tuscany, and with each goal another name from Europe’s elite are linked with a move. AFP Vlahovic can’t stop…
Read More
Volley-Ligue A (M): Tours solide, Narbonne sur le podium thumbnail

Volley-Ligue A (M): Tours solide, Narbonne sur le podium

Facile vainqueur de Tourcoing, Tours conserve cinq points d’avance sur Montpellier, qui a pris le meilleur sur l’AS Cannes. Narbonne a profité du revers de Sète ce vendredi pour s’emparer de la troisième place au bénéfice de sa victoire face à Cambrai. Tours reste le solide leader de la Ligue A masculine. Face à Tourcoing,…
Read More
Dominique Aegerter crowned 2022 WorldSSP Champion at Mandalika thumbnail

Dominique Aegerter crowned 2022 WorldSSP Champion at Mandalika

Click here for more info on Vitesse T-Shirts UKThe Swiss rider became the third WorldSSP Champion to claim two consecutive titles.With 15 wins and 17 podiums claimed this season, Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) retains his crown and is the 2022 WorldSSP Champion after finishing fourth at Mandalika.Aegerter imposed his strong race pace from
Read More
Index Of News
Consider making some contribution to keep us going. We are donation based team who works to bring the best content to the readers. Every donation matters.
Donate Now

Subscription Form

Liking our Index Of News so far? Would you like to subscribe to receive news updates daily?

Total
0
Share