By Paul Jones
Matthew Maynard made no apologies for Glamorgan chasing victory over Northampton – even though his side have now lost their opening two County Championship matches.
Glamorgan – who will be boosted this week by the arrival of Australian star Marnus Labuschagne – lost to Northants by seven wickets after losing control of the match on the final day.
Head coach Maynard watched his team set the home side a target of 355 runs in 79 overs and then fail to stem the flow of runs that followed.
Ricardo Vasconcelos and Rob Keogh both scored centuries as Glamorgan’s bowlers failed to make inroads.
“We could have bowled better and fielded better, have no doubt about it, but I liked the way we are going with this group of players,” said Maynard.
“We want to challenge them – we could have played out for a draw but I don’t think anyone learns anything from that. Down the road it will serve us in good purpose.
“The boys are bitterly disappointed in there. We played fantastic cricket for three and a bit days.
“We didn’t believe if we had batted until lunch and batted them out the game that there was enough in the wicket to take 10 wickets in 70-odd overs.
“We set a challenging target but also knew it would be challenging for our bowlers as well.
“80 for two, not bad, and then we came up against two guys who played faultlessly. They didn’t give any opportunities, no close lbw shouts, no nothing. They batted superbly, the both of them.”
Vasconcelos and Keogh put on 239 for the third wicket, individually scoring 185 not out and 126, as Northants completed the third-highest successful fourth-innings chase in their history.
Glamorgan had given themselves 79 overs to bowl their hosts out on a pitch which had got flatter, having declared on 311 for five – after half-centuries from Nick Selman, Billy Root, Kiran Carlson and Chris Cooke.
But Vasconcelos lead the charge with his highest first-class score of 185 not out to tick off the runs with over six overs to spare to hand Northants 23 points and their first win of the season, while Glamorgan remain winless.
Labuschagne is due to arrive in Wales on Tuesday and could play in Glamorgan’s next match against Kent which starts on Thursday, even though he will be in quarantine.
The Aussie missed the start of Glamorgan’s season as he was involved in Queensland’s Sheffield Shield campaign, while his Queensland teammate, bowler Michael Neser, is expected to join Glamorgan next week.