Glamorgan climb to second

James Harris and Dean Cosker gave Glamorgan’s NatWest Pro40 promotion hopes a huge boost as they helped them to a 12-run victory over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road that lifted them to second in Division Two.

Harris and Cosker ripped through the Steelbacks top order, taking taking two wickets apiece for 17 and 19 respectively as the hosts once again fell short with the bat after dismissing Glamorgan for 155.

Tom Maynard was the star for the visitors, hitting 46 off 59 balls as they recovered from 26 for two despite David Lucas, Monty Panesar, Jason Brown and Andrew Hall picking up two wickets apiece.

But Northants never got going in reply - injured skipper Nicky Boje's presence with the bat sorely missed – and Riki Wessels’ 35 was the highest score of the innings.

David Hemp got the Glamorgan innings off to a positive start by driving Lucas through the covers for four in the second over.

However, the seamer had his revenge shortly after, trapping the left-hander lbw for 15 before sending Michael Powell back for a duck.

Two early wickets for James Harris undermined Northants' pursuit of 178 for victory

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Glamorgan looked in trouble at 54 for three after South African all-rounder Hall removed Robert Croft for 22, but Maynard - son of cricket manager Matthew - and Jamie Dalrymple steadied the ship with a partnership of 52.

However, Glamorgan’s reprieve soon ended when former Middlesex all-rounder Dalrymple played one shot too many, holing out to Johann Louw off Brown for 21.

Dalrymple's departure opened the gates for a flood of Glamorgan wickets - Maynard fell four short of his fifty in the following over thanks to Niall O'Brien and Panesar.

The England spinner removed Ben Wright for four in the same manner two overs later before Alex Wharf (six) and Harris (15) came and went quickly.

Jason Gillespie was run out for two before Cosker fell for a duck as Glamorgan were bowled out in 38.5 overs.

Stand-in skipper Stephen Peters was the first man to fall for Northants, playing on to Harris with the score at 37.

Wallace making up for an earlier drop to catch Wallace off Harris, and David Sales managed just six.

O'Brien, on a tenuous 34, was trapped lbw by Croft to leave Northants 56 for four, and Hall followed in similar fashion off Cosker before Johan van der Wath was cleaned up by Dalrymple.

Wessels gave the Northants faithful promise but failed to steer his side home, smashing Wharf straight to Hemp attempting a maximum with 42 required for victory.

Northants were well below the run-rate and when Lucas and Louw fell with four overs left, any remaining doubt over the result was banished.