A fiery spell with the new ball by Ben Sanderson and Luke Wood helped set up a crucial third day against Lancashire.
After taking a wicket before the close on Day 1, Northamptonshire would have been optimistic of making inroads into the Lancashire top order in the morning session. They got off to the ideal start too, Wood dismissing Burns in the third over of the morning. Jennings and Jones then anchored in however, the pair battling through the remainder of the morning session and the entirety of play after lunch to add 152 for the third wicket. Northamptonshire’s bowlers kept things tight throughout though, the Lancashire run rate staying well below three throughout the day.
Despite bowling well and restricting the scoring there was cause for concern at tea, with Lancashire 183/2 and Jennings closing in on a century. The arrival of the new ball immediately after the break had a drastic effect though and within 4 overs Northamptonshire looked well and truly back in the contest. Sanderson found some notable bounce and movement with just his fourth delivery of the new ball, an edge from Jennings nestling into the gloves of Vasconcelos. Wood followed it up in the next over, sending Liam Livingstone’s off stump flying with a ball that swung back nicely at pace. The classic left-armer’s shape had another scalp in Wood’s next over, with Jones caught in front and gone for 67.
Jamie Overton claimed his first wicket for Northamptonshire not long after, giving Vasconcelos his fourth catch of the innings and leaving Lancashire in a delicate position at 209/6. There’d be no further success for Northamptonshire before stumps however, despite a near caught and bowled by Nathan Buck. Umpires Paul Baldwin and Tim Robinson conferring before ruling the ball had fallen short of the fast bowler in his follow through. Bailey and Vilas moving the total to 276 at the close with a lead of 46.
Northamptonshire 230 (Wood 66, Procter 48)
Lancashire 276/6 (Wood 3/44, Sanderson 2/32)
Lancashire lead by 46 runs with 4 wickets in hand.