Tribe's career-best 181* keeps Glamorgan promotion bid on track

Asa Tribe hit a career-best unbeaten 181 to keep Glamorgan's promotion hopes firmly alive and put his side in a dominant position on day one of this Rothesay County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

Glamorgan were indebted to the 21-year-old Jersey international after losing four wickets before lunch after winning the toss, Luke Procter claiming two scalps. Opening the innings, Tribe never looked in real trouble, helping himself to 25 fours and two sixes in a fluent, confident innings and accounting for the bulk of the top-order runs.

Sam Northeast (17) and Ben Kellaway (23) kept him company in half-century stands, but it was not until Chris Cooke's arrival that Glamorgan mounted a substantial partnership, the keeper scoring 84 (12 fours, one six) while adding 162 for the sixth wicket with Tribe. Although Cooke fell before the close, Glamorgan were in a healthy position at 367 for six.

Earlier Northamptonshire handed first-class debuts to left-arm pacer Ben Whitehouse and off-spinner Nirvan Ramesh, 17, who became the county's third youngest debutant since the war.

Zain ul Hassan was the first Glamorgan wicket to fall in the eighth over, driving outside off-stump to Procter and edging an easy catch behind.

Tribe dealt almost exclusively in boundaries. He drove handsomely through midwicket against the seamers before a punch through cover point off Whitehouse brought up Glamorgan's 50 at the end of the 15th over.

Whitehouse meanwhile unsettled Northeast. After the Glamorgan skipper punched one to the boundary, Whitehouse struck him on the arm causing a short delay. Northeast recovered to slap a wide delivery from Justin Broad through extra cover to bring up the 50 partnership with Tribe off 58 balls, but the all-rounder found some late movement to draw the edge through to second slip.

Tribe though looked imperious, reaching 50 off 63 deliveries. He pulled dismissively against Whitehouse who was guilty of bowling too short throughout both spells.

Procter struck for the second time when he jagged one back sharply to Kiran Carlson who offered minimum foot movement and inside edged to the keeper. The impressive Ramesh then claimed his maiden first-class wicket when Colin Ingram (18) attempted to turn the ball to leg and was well caught off the leading edge by Procter in the covers, and while Tribe took consecutive boundaries off Calvin Harrison, Glamorgan went into lunch four down for 115.

Tribe started positively after the interval, sweeping Ramesh over deep midwicket for six, while Kellaway eased into his work with a sumptuous cover drive off Liam Guthrie and a reverse sweep off Ramesh as Glamorgan moved past 150, Tribe bringing up the half-century partnership off 59 balls with a backfoot punch off Guthrie.

With Ramesh bowling consecutive maidens at one end, Northamptonshire turned to Broad to try to force the breakthrough and he instantly troubled Tribe outside off-stump. But it was Harrison who bowled Kellaway round his legs as he went to sweep.

New batter Cooke took the aggressive option against Broad but was almost undone by one that jagged back and kept low.

Tribe reached three figures off 150 balls with his first false shot, under-edging an attempted sweep against Harrison, the ball running past the keeper for four. He endured a few nervous moments against Procter who beat him several times outside off-stump, but he duly moved past his previous highest score of 107 made against Leicestershire in June, despite suffering from flu at the time.

After tea Cooke swung Harrison over the leg side for six to bring up the 100 partnership off 183 balls before reaching his own half-century. He continued to attack, clubbing spinners Harrison and Saif Zaib over midwicket, while Tribe hit Zaib straight for six, Glamorgan going on to pass 300 shortly before the new ball became due.

Tribe steered Procter through midwicket to bring up the 150 stand off 246 balls while Cooke cut Guthrie powerfully for four. The bowler soon made the breakthrough when Cooke pulled and was well caught low down by Broad at deep backward square-leg.

With Tribe still content to capitalise on anything loose and joined by Timm van der Gugten, Glamorgan secured a third batting bonus point shortly before the close.