Northants move ahead at Cardiff

Northamptonshire prospered from some unconvincing Glamorgan batting and the accurate bowling of their own paceman Michael Strong and off-spinner Jason Brown to have the advantage of Glamorgan at Cardiff.

Strong took 4-50 and Brown returned 4-56 in the long spell of 31.2 overs. The home batsmen did not benefit from the example of Matthew Elliott and Adrian Shaw, and were dismissed for 198 (still 31 runs behind). The visitors took that lead to 141 by scoring a further 110-2 by the close.

Matthew Maynard and Adrian Dale did not detain the scorers long, before Keith Newell gave Elliott more substantial support by putting on 54 runs for the fifth wicket. Elliott struggled for 70 minutes to put together six runs but shook of the ties to hit Brown for a straight and shortly afterwards hit Graeme Swann for three boundaries in an over.

Newell edged a catch to wicketkeeper David Ripley from Tony Penberthy's bowling. Ripley also caught Elliott (off Brown) with the Australian left-hander on 76 runs with a six and nine fours from 171 balls. Shaw and Robert Croft picked Glamorgan up from 145-6 only for the latter to be caught by Darren Cousins as the ball looped up gently from a deflection by Adrian Rollins.

With Steve Watkin still injured Dale took the new ball for Glamorgan and soon had Rollins caught for his second duck of the match. Then Matthew Hayden took over by scoring his fifty from 70 balls, and when he was caught at the wicket Mal Loye and David Sales played through to the close.