Disappointed Lehmann demands huge batting improvement in second innings at Lord's
"The positive is we are somehow still in the game..."
Darren Lehmann is demanding the Northants batting line-up to not repeat the same mistakes when they begin their second innings against Middlesex at Lord's on Friday morning (start 10.30am).
With a win and a healthy bonus point haul needed to stay in the Rothesey County Championship Division Two promotion race, Northants endured a nightmare opening day.
After winning the toss at the home of cricket, the tone was set when skipper Luke Procter was pinned lbw with the third ball, and it was then a prcession as they were rushed out for just 103 in 37 overs.
James Sales top-scored with 43 from 79 balls as Ryan Higgins and Danru Ferns both claimed four wickets.
Ben Sanderson then claimed four wickets as Middlesex were bowled out for 255 in reply, with Higgins hitting 115 to rescue his side from 32 for four.
That leaves Northants 152 in arrears and with a mountain to climb to get the win they need to keep any pressure on rivals Kent.
But there were no complaints about the playing surface as Lehmann put the blame on his batters.
There was some good bowling that got players out, but there were a lot of loose shots - with Calvin Harrison and Louis Kimber particularly guilty of the latter - and the head coach is demanding a big improvement second time around.
“We’re still in the game but we have to now do what we started out to do at the beginning of the game, which is make 450 to get back into it," Lehmann told BBC Northampton.
"I’m just really disappointed, we let them dictate terms and we talked about different things you’ve got to do to negate medium-pacers, and we didn't do them.
"Derbyshire did the same thing to us in the first innings last week, but I thought we adjusted well in the second innings, so fingers crossed they adjust and play better, because it was a pretty good wicket.
"It's not a 20 wickets for 350 run wicket.
"It was an eventful day, but that is a 300-plus wicket, and I am really disappointed with the batting.
"Higgins played well for them, but Middlesex have probably missed the boat as well.
"It's difficult with the new ball but you expect that with the Dukes ball and these conditions.
"It's actually ended up not too bad because we have bowled them out and it has spun a bit.
“So for us it’s now all about batting all day and then see where we are really.
"The positive is we are somehow still in the game, and who knows what will happen.
"We might bat badly and then the game is shut, but they have left the door ajar haven't they?"
Lehmann also felt his bowlers could have performed better, but wasn't going to be too critical as they have kept their team in the game.
"We went at five an over all day, so that was probably the disappointing thing from a bowling point of view," he said.
"But we can’t complain in that we’ve bowled a side out for 255 on a good wicket after we were rolled ourselves.
"So they have given us a bit of a hope."
At Canterbury, Kent are in a strong position as they sit 71 for one in reply to Gloucestershire's 229 all out.
As it stands, it is a case of how you were at the top, with Kent maintaining their four-point advantage with both them and Northants picking up three bowling bonus points on day one.