Procter leads from the front with five as Northants seize control at Worcester
08.09.26, 21:00 Updated 08.09.26, 21:20
Jeremy Blackmore and Sam Rhymes
Skipper Luke Procter returned season-best figures of 5-63 in a superb spell that helped promotion-chasers Northamptonshire bowl Worcestershire out for 200 to push the visitors into the ascendancy on the opening day of Division Two action at New Road.
Jake Libby’s half-century helped Worcestershire recover from 20-2, but Procter led from the front to rip through the Pears middle order.
Supported by Harry Conway (2-20), the Northants seam attack reduced the Pears from 103-2 to 150-9 before Henry Cullen’s late counter-offensive of 64 provided some resistance.
Northants openers Ricardo Vasconcelos and Luke Procter negotiated a tricky eight-over spell late in the day to close 16-0, set to resume day two 184-runs behind with all ten wickets in hand. Along the way Vasconcelos passed his previous highest run tally for a single season.
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Jeremy Blackmore is the founder and editor of The Steeler. Jeremy is a freelance cricket writer and Wantage Road regular. He has written extensively for a host of publications including The Cricketer, The Cricket Paper, Wisden Cricket Monthly and ESPNcricinfo. He also covers Northamptonshire for the ECB Reporters Network.
Sam Rhymes Sam covers Worcestershire for the ECB Reporters Network.