Hostile Marchant de Lange stands Glamorgan in good stead against Northamptonshire

Marchant de Lange produced a fine display of hostile fast bowling to lead Glamorgan to an excellent opening day at Wantage Road.

Bowling with pace and aggression, de Lange took four wickets to help dismiss Northamptonshire for just 209 and Glamorgan survived four overs to reach 5 for 0 before light rain and bad light brought an early close.

After Glamorgan, presented with a green-tinged pitch, declined the toss, de Lange set the tone with a fiery six-over spell from the Wilson End. In his first spell he knocked out Ricardo Vasconcelos' off stump for 13 and later returned to end Northants' only significant partnership, having Josh Cobb caught behind with an away-swinger, before he cleaned up the tail - full balls that drew a nervy poke from Nathan Buck to present a catch to second slip and took out Ben Sanderson's off stump - to finish with 4 for 64.

De Lange's morning spell helped reduced Northants to 61 for 5 but Northants were the architects of their own dire position with three very poor shots. Temba Bavuma, for 8, and Rob Keogh, on 4, drove at wide balls from Tim van der Gugten to edge to the slips cordon before Alex Wakely, having worked hard for 28, nudged lazily at Dan Douthwaite and Charlie Hemphrey claimed a superb catch diving to his right at second slip.

In desperate need of resistance, Adam Rossington delivered with a 76-ball fifty. Rossington found a game partner in Cobb, who battled away for 31 including two sweet cover drives off Douthwaite. But Cobb poked tentatively at an away-swinger from de Lange and edged to Tom Cullen, ending a stand of 86 for the sixth wicket in 22.1 overs.

A second promising stand then developed between Rossington and Procter, with 49 being added in 48 balls. Three times Rossington cut Marnus Labuschagne's leg-spin for boundaries but, having seen him out of the attack, Rossington tried to pull Michael Hogan, in his first over on return, and got a leading edge that was well held by Labuschagne running to his left from backward point. Hogan had earlier removed Ben Curran caught by a juggling David Lloyd at first slip, the first of his 3 for 39.

Rossington's wicket was one of three that fell for only five runs - Luke Wood caught at the wicket trying to force outside off stump and Nathan Buck poking at a delivery that gently left him to edge to second slip - before light rain brought an early tea with Luke Procter 20 not out.

After a two-hour delay, de Lange finished Northants off, with Procter unbeaten on 26. Nick Selman and Charlie Hemphrey got to the close intact.