Batters put Northants in good position at Derbys
Vitality County Championship Division Two, County Ground, Derby (day one)
Northamptonshire 297-5: Bartlett 76, Keogh 75*; Dal 2-41
Derbyshire: Yet to bat
Derbyshire 1 pt, Northants 1 pt
George Bartlett and Rob Keogh combined to get Northamptonshire back into the game as honours were shared with Derbyshire on the opening day of their County Championship Division Two game.
The pair both scored half centuries and added 124 for the fifth wicket to get the innings back on track after Anuj Dal struck twice to reduce the visitors to 121-4.
Ricardo Vasconcelos (53) and Emilio Gay (45) shared an opening stand of 99 but it was Bartlett’s 76 and Keogh’s unbeaten 75 that helped Northamptonshire close on 297-5.
South African fast bowler Daryn Dupavillon knocked Vasconcelos off his feet with a yorker with the first ball of the match although it was Blair Tickner who posed the biggest threat.
When Tickner was brought back on, Vasconcelos pulled him for four to reach his 50 from 89 balls but just when it was looking like a fruitless session for the home side, he moved one back in to have him lbw.
Northamptonshire would still have been satisfied with their position at lunch but the picture quickly changed after Gay was bowled by Dal with the first ball of the afternoon session.
Luke Procter had never looked comfortable and after facing 17 balls without scoring, he went across to glance and lost his leg stump to Dal.
Zak Chappell got one to straighten to bowl Karun Nair for six but Bartlett and Keogh regrouped and batted through the rest of the session.
Bartlett reached his 50 from 72 balls when he cover drove David Lloyd for his ninth four and by tea the pair had added 74 to shift the initiative back to the visitors.
Ross Whiteley broke the stand as Bartlett was surprised by a ball that lifted from just outside off stump and could only fend it to slip where Aneurin Donald took a simple catch.
It was an important breakthrough ahead of the second new ball which Derbyshire took immediately but Keogh and Justin Broad denied them any further success.
Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network.
