Vasconcelos hits second ton of the summer as Northants take initiative against Worcestershire

It was a contrasting innings of watchful defence and crisp strokeplay, as Vasconcelos struck 18 boundaries and was particularly strong through the covers. It follows his 127 against Kent last month.

He was joined by Saif Zaib in a proactive fourth-wicket stand of 101 in 20 overs.

County cricket’s leading run-scorer last season, Zaib has had limited opportunities so far but seized his chance with a near run-a-ball 75.

When the pair were parted, James Sales (44) and George Bartlett (35) combined in a telling unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 79 against the new ball to push Northants in front.

They closed on 366 for fove, leading by 60, before bad light and rain stopped play

Former Northants man Tom Taylor (2-60) and Oliver Hannon-Dalby threatened all day for the Pears, finding late swing with the second new ball, while Beyers Swanepoel also took two wickets.

Earlier Northants resumed on 40-0 and soon lost skipper Luke Procter when Taylor got one to lift sharply and hit the splice of the bat, the ball flying to second slip.

Calvin Harrison edged his first ball past the slips to bring up Northants’ 50 before driving sweetly in Taylor’s next over.

Vasconcelos too played a sumptuous drive against Taylor and showed disdain when Matthew Waite bowled short, swivelling to pull for four.

The pair were progressing nicely, adding 43 off 55 balls, when Harrison inside edged a Beyers Swanepoel delivery onto his stumps.

Vasconcelos motored to 50 with three consecutive boundaries, crunching Swanepoel through the covers and pulling him behind square. He tucked into Adam Finch’s bowling too, going down on one knee to stroke him through cover and playing an audacious uppercut over the slips.

He put on 77 for the third wicket with Nathan McSweeney who initially found life difficult, beaten outside off-stump during a probing spell from Waite.

The Australian found release though as he settled against Finch, punching through extra cover.

Hannon-Dalby and Taylor bowled well with the old ball after lunch, troubling both batters. Runs dried up, but Vasconcelos clipped through midwicket to bring up Northamptonshire’s 150 in the 50th over.

McSweeney departed trying to push the score on after getting tied down.

He had a big swing to the long boundary against Swanepoel, Hannon-Dalby comfortably taking a high catch at fine leg.

Zaib started briskly but almost fell cheaply when he edged behind on nine.

Keeper Gareth Roderick dived across first slip and wasn’t able to hold on.

Zaib quickly gained fluency, driving and punching through the covers, while Vasconcelos reached his century in style, smashing a wide half volley from Waite in the same direction.

Zaib, always strong against spin, swept and reverse swept Brett D'Oliveira and raced to his half-century off 41 balls before smashing seamer Ethan Brookes over midwicket.

Brookes though made the key breakthrough when he trapped Vasconcelos lbw shortly before tea.

Worcestershire took the new ball after the break and soon removed Zaib caught behind off Taylor, playing a non-committal push.

Sales almost played on a couple of times but collected three highly convincing boundaries off one Hannon-Dalby over, including an exquisite straight drive, as Northamptonshire moved past 300. Bartlett then put away a loose legside delivery from Taylor to take the hosts into the lead before driving Hannon-Dalby down the ground.

Bartlett had a late scare when he chased a wide one from Taylor, Brookes unable to hold a sharp high chance at second slip but he responded by punching assuredly through cover.

Sales was also dropped just before stumps, offering a hard chance to D’Oliveira at short extra off Taylor.

Northants reaction… Ricardo Vasconcelos

“It's always nice to start the season well and get the confidence I can hopefully carry on throughout the whole season. After a few dry years, it's nice to get a few runs.

“The pre-season trip to South Africa was really important. I did a lot of work over the winter and put a few changes in place and it was the first opportunity to really put those into practice. And it showed that what I did worked, and I could back that throughout the whole year,

“I think sometimes what I've learned over the last few years, I've got to kind of put my ego aside. I like to score. I like to score quickly. But sometimes that's not what the pitch and the conditions and the team kind of needs in that moment.

“So, that’s what we try to do is team first, and we know this year, the new ball's extra important. So, if you get through that phase, it becomes easier for everyone as the day goes on.

“I think every partnership that I was involved with was 45 plus or something like that. So, we didn't go bang-bang today, which we have done in the past many a time. So, it was nice for everyone to contribute.

“Worcestershire bowled really well throughout the day. They didn’t miss a lot.”

“Our first objective on Sunday is to get that that batting point. And then we're going to look to put on as much as we can first innings, and if it all goes well, look to only bat once. If you then have to bat again, so be it, but that’s the plan.”

Worcestershire reaction… Ethan Brookes

“It was a tough day. I think we had some good passages of play in that. I think we started well with the ball, built quite a bit of pressure and I think on another day, Olly and Tom could have got quite a few wickets there.

“So yeah, credit to their batters, especially Vasconcelos. He played really well. He looked at ease. We didn't really trouble him too much.

“I think that's probably on the wicket as well. I think it has flattened out a little bit. Not too many balls that are moving off the straight. So, I actually thought we stuck in there quite well.

“They're obviously in front of us, and they've got a few wickets left, but I think we created chances, and another day you get the decisions and a couple of catches, and they’re seven or eight down and then there's pressure on them to get a decent lead, and then we're right back in the game.

"So, I think we're not too down. We know we didn't have our best day, but I still feel like there's quite a few positives in there.”

For more information about Rothesay, please visit www.ecb.co.uk/about/who-we-are/our-partners/rothesay