White defies Lancs on debut

Australia international Cameron White struck an unbeaten half-century on an even first day of the top-of-the-table Division Two clash between Northamptonshire and Lancashire at Wantage Road.

Lancashire failed to take a wicket in the morning after winning the toss and putting the hosts in to bat but captain Glen Chapple's 3 for 60 led a strong fightback after lunch. Northants eventually closed on 275 for 7 with White making 61 not out off 149 deliveries on his County Championship debut and James Middlebrook added 57 off 112 balls.

Lancashire won the toss and elected to field but it was a decision that threatened to backfire on Chapple as Northants openers Kyle Coetzer and Middlebrook piled on 90 between them. The duo batted out the entire morning session but Coetzer was to perish on 38 when his middle stump was sent tumbling by Kyle Hogg with the third ball after lunch.

Middlebrook, however, was to go past 50 off 106 balls with a four struck through the covers off Hogg's next over. He then threw his wicket away on 57 when he attempted to run a quick single off Hogg, only to be sent back by Northants stand-in captain David Sales and was run out by Luis Reece at point.

Lancashire continued to claw their way back when Chapple dismissed his opposite number Sales for 18 when he slashed to wicketkeeper Gareth Cross.

Cross almost claimed another victim when he was just unable to gather a difficult low catch when diving to his right when White, who was on 5 at the time, edged Chapple. But another wicket soon fell when 18-year-old Ben Duckett walked on 29 as a terrific swinging delivery by Chapple took out his off stump.

Three balls later, Chapple struck again when Andrew Hall tamely chipped him to former Australia batsman Simon Katich at square-leg to reduce Northants to 159 for 5. Simon Kerrigan then got in on the act in the eighth over after tea when Matthew Spriegel (20) was sharply taken at short leg by Andrea Agathangelou.

David Willey soon followed when Karl Brown took a good low catch at first slip to give Wayne White his first wicket. Northants wicketkeeper David Murphy was then dropped at first slip by Brown off Chapple on 19 before Cameron White completed a patient half-century off 125 balls. He and Murphy were able to bat out the rest of the day with the latter closing on 28.