Hat-trick Hall hurries Northamptonshire win

Northamptonshire 494 and 40 for 0 beat Glamorgan 207 and 325 by 10 wickets
Scorecard

Northamptonshire captain Andrew Hall took a hat-trick as his side claimed an emphatic 10-wicket win over County Championship Division Two leaders Glamorgan with a day to spare at Wantage Road.

Hall, who finished with figures of 4 for 49, dismissed Ben Wright, Glamorgan captain Jamie Dalrymple and Jim Allenby in consecutive balls in the afternoon session to claim Northants' first hat-trick in first-class cricket since 1980.

Australian opener Mark Cosgrove provided some resistance with 115 off 138 balls but the visitors were bowled out for 325 following on and Northants easily chased down their modest target of 39 to boost their own promotion hopes.

Northants began the day by asking Glamorgan, who they had dismissed in less than two sessions on day two for 207, to bat again. Unlike in their first innings, however, the opening pair of Gareth Rees and Cosgrove got the visitors off to a solid start with Cosgrove batting aggressively.

Rees made 14 before smashing Jack Brooks to James Middlebrook at backward point to end an opening partnership of 58. Cosgrove went on to reach his half-century off 64 balls and Tom Maynard rapidly made one of his own off 57 deliveries as he passed his previous best four-day score of 51 not out against Derbyshire in Cardiff last year.

Glamorgan raced to 153 for 1 at lunch, but Nicky Boje broke up a second-wicket stand of 109 in the third over of the afternoon session when he forced Maynard (64) to edge to Hall at slip. Cosgrove was relentless, however, and the Australian made his second century of the season off 114 balls.

Then Hall worked his magic in the 47th over when Wright, who blasted 33 off as many balls, top-edged his delivery straight to David Sales at point. Then, with his next two balls, he forced Dalrymple then Allenby to edge to wicketkeeper David Murphy to equal Richard Williams' feat against Gloucestershire 30 years ago.

The same combination then ended Cosgrove's superb knock with Murphy also snapping up fellow keeper Mark Wallace (20) off David Lucas. The eighth-wicket pairing of James Harris and Dean Cosker ensured Northants would have to bat again as Glamorgan reached tea on 296 for 7, nine runs ahead.

Harris made 39 before edging Middlebrook to Murphy, who took his fifth catch of the innings before David Harrison (15) was caught by Hall at first slip off Elton Chigumbura. Will Owen was then run out without facing a ball by Sales at cover and Northants openers Stephen Peters and Ben Howgego, on 17 and 23 not out saw them to a comprehensive 10-wicket victory, with Peters reaching 1,000 first-class runs this season.