Northants secure first innings lead at Wantage Road

Russell Warren and Tony Penberthy secured a handy first-innings lead for Northamptonshire in their top-of-the-table Division Two contest with Sussex at Wantage Road.

The fifth-wicket pair, who came together with the home side struggling on 139-4, added an unbroken 188 in 63 overs to guide Northants to 327-4 at the close - already 95 runs in front.

Warren ended the day 113 not out after nearly six hours at the crease, with his partner on 92.

Sussex had made an excellent start to the day, picking up three key wickets in the first hour's play after Northants resumed on 23-0 in reply to their own modest 232 all out.

James Kirtley struck an important blow in the fifth over of the morning when Matthew Hayden (18) clipped a straightforward catch to square leg, and Kirtley then trapped Mal Loye leg-before to end an eventful innings of 18 off as many balls with a six and two fours.

Umer Rashid's left-arm spin accounted for Adrian Rollins, caught behind for 30, but Warren and Jeff Cook repaired some of the damage with a stand of 63 in 25 overs either side of lunch.

Cook's dismissal for 23, slicing Bates to cover, brought the visitors back into the match, only for Warren and Penberthy to transform the match and set Northants on course for maximum batting points.

Warren's century - his first of the summer - came up from 277 balls including 15 fours, and their stand eclipsed the county's previous fifth-wicket record against Sussex - 131 set at Northampton in 1920.