James Sales’ century helps Northants add up runs

In their Vitality County Championship encounter against Leicestershire at Wantage Road, Northamptonshire piled on the runs on day two, highlighted by an outstanding career-best 135 from James Sales.

Against 197 deliveries in an innings of true maturity, the Northamptonshire kid took full advantage of his recent promotion up the order, smashing 16 boundaries in over four hours at the crease.

His innings was noteworthy for his timing, placement, and fluency even though he was dropped on 86 and 121 due to two infrequent errant shots. In contrast, on a placid track that had provided little for the Middlesex attack, he had hit his maiden first-class century in April against the kookaburra ball.

Rob Keogh (49) and Sales continued their partnership overnight, taking it to 117 runs. Sales then scored 131 off just 134 deliveries with a clever Saif Zaib. Using a wayward Rehan Ahmed to absorb the brunt of his onslaught, Zaib amassed a run-a-ball 71, most of his runs coming from the sweep and reverse sweep as he put the spinners to the sword.

The hosts were bowled out for 383 to build a 180-run lead in the first innings thanks to the efforts of Leicestershire seamer Ian Holland, who found some inswing with the second new ball to end Sales’ innings. Holland finished with figures of four for 53.

Northamptonshire shut them down when Leicestershire responded, scoring runs at a slow pace thanks to legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal‘s abundant turns. As Leicestershire finished at 69 for 4, still 111 behind, the Indian international got two wickets.

Sam Wood achieved his half-century off 82 balls, but Sales, 21, got right to work, driving him through the covers for four and putting him down the ground. He played a deft late cut and drove sweetly, but he also manoeuvred the ball into the gaps, smashing Rehan over long-on for four.

Rehan was hit on the back leg when he returned to a big delivery from the England legspinner, but Keogh, who was suffering from a weak back, gave strong support, tugging Rehan over twice until he was trapped leg before wicket.

With the first ball, Zaib was on point, cutting Ahmed square for four and brushing Liam Trevaskis with ease behind square. He was a perfect companion for Sales, running quick ones and twos to keep the fielders under strain and the scoreboard moving.

Louis Kimber stopped Sales at short cover off Trevaskis, giving him his first false shot, which caused the fielder to injure his hand.

James Sales, unfazed, amassed 86 off the first 10 overs after the break with Zaib, smacking Rehan through the covers for his 13th boundary to achieve his century shortly after lunch.

While all of this was going on, Zaib was taking advantage of some more lenient bowling from Rehan. He was swiping the ball with ease and reaching his half-century off of 55 deliveries before hitting a half-tracker square for six. Conversely, Sales capitalised on another misplay in the covers off Trevaskis, hitting the bowler for four runs as a response.

However, the rapid exits of both batsmen led to a mini-collapse for Northamptonshire, with four wickets falling for 21 in 6.1 overs. In order to give Sol Budinger his first-class wicket, Zaib was initially trapped leg before wicket while he was playing another sweep. Then Holland swung one back in to bowl Sales as he tried to drive when Leicestershire got the new ball.

The second man out was Justin Broad, who shoved at a ball from Holland and was caught by a diving Rishi Patel at first slip. Ben Sanderson was next trapped lbw without scoring by Holland, depriving him of the three runs required to reach 1,000 career first-class runs.

An offensive retaliation After Lewis McManus took on the new ball and clubbed five boundaries in a knock of 27, he became the sixth wicket to be declared leg before wicket in the innings, with Holland taking his fourth wicket. This increased Northamptonshire’s lead. Then Wood finished the inning by destroying Jack White’s stumps.

With Leicestershire’s fifth ball in reply, White struck first. As Budinger played inside the line of one and the ball struck the top of the off-stump, he fell without scoring, despite being the top scorer in the first inning.

Patel (35), Holland (11), and others found it difficult to score, averaging just 1.5 per over. As Holland got closer to the wicket, Chahal eventually stumped him.

Because Keogh was injured in his back and could not bowl, Northamptonshire had to rely on Zaib to bowl their slow left-armers. Patel was quickly out of the game when he flicked a half-volley on leg stump straight to Sales at short midwicket.

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Rehan danced down the wicket to Chahal, missed, and was promptly removed by McManus, causing Leicestershire to lose another wicket.