Glamorgan claim first win in last over

Marcus North, Jim Allenby and Mark Wallace all struck half-centuries as Glamorgan claimed their first County Championship Division Two win of the season with a thrilling three-wicket victory with five balls to spare over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

Northants declared shortly after the restart on 350 for 5, leaving David Sales unbeaten on 138 from 285 balls, before both teams forfeited an innings, giving Glamorgan a winning target of 351 from 90 overs.

Sales' innings was quite a way to advertise his worth after Northants had told him he could leave at the end of the season as they seek to slash their wage bill.

Australia international North paved the way with 73 from 126 deliveries, but it was a brilliant partnership between Allenby and captain and wicketkeeper Wallace that did the damage.

The sixth-wicket pair put on 114, with Allenby striking an unbeaten 67 and Wallace 54 as the visitors made their target in the final over.

Northants began the day on 336 for 5, with Sales resuming on 129 and James Middlebrook on 17, and the hosts added 14 to their overnight total from four overs before declaring.

Glamorgan's chase got off to an awful start as they lost Will Bragg when he edged the second ball, from Chaminda Vaas, to Northants wicketkeeper David Murphy for a golden duck.

Stewart Walters then plundered 29 but he perished when he dragged Northants captain Andrew Hall's delivery onto his stumps.

Glamorgan reached lunch on 70 for 2, still needing 281 to win, but Gareth Rees walked after making 34 when Stephen Peters took a brilliant one-handed catch at silly mid-off off the bowling of Middlebrook.

This preceded a stalemate with Northants' striving for further wickets and neither North nor Ben Wright looking to play any big shots.

North was able to eventually kick on, however, as he completed a composed half-century off 99 balls, but Wright was dismissed on 34 when he nudged David Willey behind in the third over after tea.

And North followed in Willey's next over when the paceman took out his middle and off stumps but the new pairing of Allenby and Wallace swung the contest Glamorgan's way.

With the match heading towards a thrilling climax, Allenby completed a terrific half-century off just 68 deliveries while Wallace quickly following suit off 67 balls.

Glamorgan needed 50 from the last 10 overs, but Wallace holed out when he smashed Kyle Coetzer to Rob Newton at extra cover.

James Harris (6) was then run out by Alex Wakely from backward point but the winning runs came when Allenby scrambled two off Hall from the first ball of the final over.