Mark Wallace's highest score of the year, 72 from 106 balls, proved a timely effort after Glamorgan's early woes on a sporting pitch. At 126 for five they were in danger of failing to add to the lowest number of batting points in either division, 16, but thanks to Wallace's positive intent and some spirited lower-order contributions, they are still in this match.

Wallace's ebullient sixth-wicket partnership of 76 in 15 overs with Alex Wharf was the key to recovery. The wicketkeeper, who scored a hundred on this ground last year, looked set for another until Monty Panesar, finding some extra bounce, had him brilliantly caught one-handed at slip by Andrew Hall.

Robert Croft and Jason Gillespie then breathed defiance with well-chosen strokes until Croft was caught at second slip off the impressive Johan van der Wath, a persistent threat with his pace and away movement. The South African achieved the rare feat of knocking out all three of Gareth Rees's stumps, but not before he had struck Hall for two sixes in his determined 104-ball 53.

Glamorgan had handed their opponents a wicket in the very first over, when Richard Grant was run out from deep mid-on by Jason Brown going for a third. That exposed David Hemp, who was palpably beaten for pace by Van der Wath. Mike Powell's pugnacious riposte ended when he was bowled trying to take his bat out of the way and when Jamie Dalrymple became a second victim for Hall, Glamorgan had lost four wickets in the first 19 overs.

Rees, Glamorgan's most consistent run-scorer in the LV County Championship this season, batted well in difficult conditions under skies that remained leaden all day. After an especially slow start - he took 35 minutes to get off the mark - the diminutive left-hander struck three successive fours off David Lucas to pass fifty for the sixth time this campaign. He also hit him for six.

Rees's conversion rate to three figures has, however, been indicative of his side's lack of productivity with the bat, for his solitary century is one of just three made for Glamorgan in 2008.

Scoreboard

Glamorgan: First Innings
G P Rees b Van der Wath 53
R N Grant run out 2
*D L Hemp b Van der Wath 0
M J Powell b Hall 32
J W M Dalrymple c O'Brien b Hall 2
†M A Wallace c Hall b Panesar 72
A G Wharf b Panesar 36
R D B Croft c Sales b Van der Wath 43
J N Gillespie not out 24
D A Cosker c Hall b Van der Wath 2
A J Shantry not out 1
Extras (b 1, lb 7, w 1, nb 10) 19
Total (9 wkts, 84 overs) 286

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-3, 3-53, 4-55, 5-126, 6-202, 7-223, 8-283, 9-285.

Bowling: Van der Wath 15-4-55-4; Lucas 15-5-63-0; Hall 11-3-51-2; Klusener 11-4-32-0; Panesar 21-3-62-2; Brown 11-4-15-0.

Northamptonshire: S D Peters, †N J O'Brien, R A White, D J G Sales, M H Wessels, *L Klusener, A J Hall, J J van der Wath, D S Lucas, M S Panesar, J F Brown.

Umpires: N L Bainton and N G Cowley.

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