Latest news with #Zaib
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Zaib hits century as Northants recover against Glos
Rothesay County Championship Division Two, County Ground, Northampton (day one) Northamptonshire 327-6: Zaib 141*, Sales 81; Charlesworth 2-41, Bailey 2-61 Gloucestershire: Yet to bat Northants 2 pts, Glos 2 pts Match scorecard Saif Zaib hit a superbly paced unbeaten 141, his highest first-class score and third century of the season, as Northamptonshire staged a sterling fightback on day one of this County Championship match against Gloucestershire at Wantage Road. Zaib combined with James Sales (81) in a fifth-wicket stand worth 148 in 44.2 overs after Northamptonshire's top order slumped to 57-4 before lunch. Gloucestershire's Archie Bailey, 19, bowled with express pace and accounted for two of the first four wickets to fall on his return to the town of his birth. But with little pace or bounce in the wicket to assist a thoroughly disciplined Gloucestershire bowling attack, Sales and Zaib were content to absorb the pressure before pressing the accelerator. Sales played the dominant partner at first before Zaib took over, marching to his ton from 147 balls and going past his previous best of 135 against Sussex in 2021. Amidst an admirably persistent Gloucestershire bowling performance, both Bailey, playing only his third first-class game, and Ben Charlesworth picked up two wickets apiece with Northamptonshire finishing the day handily placed on 327-6. Northamptonshire refreshed their batting line-up after last week's heavy defeat by Glamorgan, bringing in Gus Miller for his first game this season and rewarding promising teenager Aadi Sharma with his senior debut. It was a familiar start though when Tom Price struck in the fifth over, trapping Ricardo Vasconelos lbw. Miller and Luke Procter looked to build a partnership amidst a miserly opening bowling partnership between Price and Matt Taylor before both fell within 10 balls. First Miller chased a wide one from Bailey and edged to second slip. The in-form Procter (20) looked in good touch again, but when Bailey came round the wicket and swung one back in, the Northamptonshire captain was trapped lbw as he moved across his stumps. Sales started to steady the ship, steering one down to third to bring up Northamptonshire's 50 in the 23rd over, while Sharma, who looked unfazed by the occasion, cut Charlesworth firmly for four. The debutant failed to capitalise on the bowler's next delivery, a loose short ball, and pulled it straight to square leg. Zaib was fortunate to survive a run out appeal early in his innings on 19. Graeme van Buuren threw down the stumps at the non-strikers' end with a direct hit, but Zaib was adjudged not out, although his bat appeared short of his crease. Sales and Zaib duly brought up their 50 partnership off 122 balls before Sales went on the offensive. By contrast the next 50 runs came in quick time off just 62 deliveries in the afternoon sunshine. Sales punched Zaman Akhter off the backfoot square for four and reached 50 when he glided Ollie Price down to third. He tucked into the off-spinner's next over too, helping himself to three further boundaries, smashing Price over mid-on and forcing him out of the attack. Zaib upped the tempo before tea too, hitting Bailey straight down the ground and sweeping van Buuren to the ropes to bring up his half-century off 101 balls, Northamptonshire going into the tea break on 184-4. It was van Buuren who finally broke the partnership soon after the resumption when Ollie Price took a sharp tumbling catch at short mid-wicket as Sales played an attempted pull. But Zaib carried on unabated, taking three boundaries off Bailey, driving and pulling to good effect, although he rode his luck against van Buuren when an edge flew just wide of slip. George Bartlett, moved down the order for this game, fell cheaply when he edged behind to a Charlesworth delivery which was too close to cut. Zaib though continued at pace to bring up his century. By comparison, his first 50 had come off 101 balls, his second off just 46. He treated the crowd to an array of shots all around the ground throughout the evening session. Lewis McManus (33 not out) provided excellent support, driving Taylor for four to take Northamptonshire past 300 and a second batting bonus point. ECB Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport
BBC News
20-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Derbyshire clear deficit after Procter and Zaib tons
Rothesay County Championship Division Two, County Ground, Derby (day three)Derbyshire 307 & 202-3: Jewell 71, Madsen 62*; Leech 2-54Northants 500-8 dec: Procter 150, Zaib 105, Vasconcelos 82Derbyshire (4 pts) lead Northants (8 pts) by nine runs with 7 wickets standingMatch scorecard A career-best century for Luke Procter backed up by a blistering hundred from Saif Zaib gave Northamptonshire the upper hand on day three of the County Championship Division Two match against Derbyshire at 150 from 272 balls provided the launching pad for Zaib who hit three sixes to race to a second century in consecutive matches off only 86 Justin Broad hammering 46 from 27 balls, the visitors declared on 500-8 with a lead of 193 but their bowlers also struggled on a pitch which has flattened opener Caleb Jewell eased to a fifth 50 in six innings and with Wayne Madsen completing his second half century of the game, Derbyshire moved to 202-3 at stumps, a lead of faced 17 balls to get the three runs needed to complete his ninth first-class hundred but from then on, the visitors moved swiftly through the the second new ball was taken, Rob Keogh drove Luis Reece for four to bring up the 300 and the 100 stand which had come from 164 reached his 50 by pulling Reece for another boundary but in the same over he went for a big drive and was bowled .Zaib survived a hard chance to second slip on one and he took full advantage as he tore the bowling apart either side of passed his previous highest score , an unbeaten 144 against Warwickshire at Northampton in 2022, and then pulled Zak Chappell for his 20th four to reach 150 before cutting Blair Tickner into the hands of Derbyshire were struggling to stem the flow of runs with Zaib taking 14 off a Martin Andersson over as 139 runs came in the first lead at the interval was 68 and although Lewis McManus was caught behind sweeping at Jack Morley, the game quickly ran away from Derbyshire who had to bowl spin at both ends to improve a slow over and Broad tucked into the post-lunch smorgasbord to plunder 85 from 54 balls before the latter was caught at deep midwicket to give Madsen his first Championship wicket since April Zaib skied Morley to long off, the declaration came giving their bowlers 54 overs to try and put Derbyshire under pressure but the batters continued to Lloyd needed a big innings after a run of low scores and started positively, pulling Liam Guthrie for six, but then fell to a stunning catch by Broad who leapt at cover to hold on at the second Jewell again looked untroubled and with Harry Came, reduced the arrears to under a hundred before Dom Leech trapped Came on the crease in the 27th responded by pulling Leech for his seventh four to reach 50 and with Madsen, set about deflating Northants' hopes of pair added 66 from 84 balls and although Jewell cut Broad into the hands of first slip, Madsen passed 50 for the fourth time this season to put his team in credit by the close. ECB Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay
BBC News
13-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Northants make Lancashire follow-on at Old Trafford
Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Emirates Old Trafford (day three)Northamptonshire 496: Zaib 116, McManus 95, Sales 92; Hartley 3-91Lancashire 228: Jennings 96; Harrison 4-34 & 126-2 f/o: Bohannon 67*Lancashire (2pts) trail Northants (8pts) by 142 runs f/oMatch scorecard Northamptonshire are closing in on a first County Championship victory at Old Trafford since 1999, and only their fourth ever win at Lancashire's headquarters, after bowling the hosts out for 228 and then having the home side 126-2 in their second innings after enforcing the Guthrie gave Northamptonshire the dream start when he trapped Michael Jones lbw for 0 with an inswinger as Lancashire batted a second time but the visitors' victory quest was held up by a resolute 120-run partnership between Keaton Jennings, who added 49 runs to go with his first innings 96 and Josh Bohannon, who remains unbeaten on took 146 balls to reach his half century and batted with great determination while his seven fours included a lovely flick of the wrists off Harrison to the midwicket fence, but the bowler changed ends and produced what could be a decisive moment in the match by finding the edge of Jennings' bat six overs before stumps - his fifth wicket in this match - with Lewis McManus delightedly taking his 100th first-class first-innings wickets for Harrison and three by Justin Broad led a fine bowling effort by Northamptonshire who took the remaining Lancashire wickets by the seventh over of the afternoon session, backing up the massive 496 accumulated by their batsmen, to put their side in the box seat after three was Raphy Weatherall who struck first after 50 minutes of play when Matty Hurst steered a catch straight to Ricardo Vasconcelos at gully for 16 the over after the wicketkeeper/batter had confidently twice pulled Broad to backward square leg for picked up his first wicket of the day when Luke Wells, on 20, attempted to repeat the sweep shot that had brought him six runs earlier but this time top edging high to midwicket where Broad took a good running catch. That ended a promising partnership of 46 and began a clatter of the three wickets to fall for five runs in 19 balls with first day centurion Saib Zaib to the had looked imperious in stroking his way steadily to 96 and the fierce drive the Lancashire skipper produced against Harrison looked destined to bring up his century, but instead it nestled in the hand of Zaib at midwicket after the all-rounder flung himself to his right to pull off a stunning the almost perfunctory one over of spin before lunch, Zaib then trapped George Balderson lbw for one to complete a magical five minutes and leave the spinner with figures for this season of 5-9 from 9.5 overs. Harrison (4-34) and Broad (3-58) swiftly wrapped up the innings post lunch, Tom Hartley pulling the former to George Bartlett at midwicket for eight and Tom Bailey finding the same fielder at long leg off Broad for the same score. Lancashire made a much better fist of things second time around, but Northamptonshire remain firm favourites to clinch a result on Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
BBC News
11-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Zaib hits ton as Northants make Lancashire toil
Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Emirates Old Trafford (day one)Northamptonshire 355-5: Zaib 108*, Sales 92; Balderson 2-77 Lancashire: Yet to batLancashire (1pt), Northants (3pts)Match scorecard Saif Zaib hit an unbeaten 111 as Northamptonshire made Lancashire toil on the opening day of their County Championship Division Two in at number six, Zaib went to three figures from 149 balls after James Sales (92) and Luke Procter (64) had laid the foundations having been put in to bat by Red Rose captain Keaton two put on 104 for the third wicket, while Sales and Zaib contributed 97 together for the Zaib found another fine partner in Lewis McManus (40*) as they added an unbroken 99 in the evening session to end on 355-5. However, on the day when it was revealed Lancashire and England bowler James Anderson is to be knighted, the home attack struggled in his absence on a flat pitch. On a glorious sunny April day in Manchester, there was a hint of surprise at Jennings' call although George Balderson, sharing new-ball duties struck in the sixth over as he had Ricardo Vasconcelos caught behind for when George Bartlett was plumb lbw to a fast full ball from West Indies quick Anderson Phillip on his first Lancashire appearance of the summer, the visitors were Procter mixed dogged defence with nine fours in his 133-ball innings in his new role as Northants found good support from Sales who played some stylish shots as they cruised to a century stand off 168 was ended by John Turner getting Procter caught behind with a bit of extra bounce for his first wicket on his Lancashire debut following his short-term loan from when Rob Keogh went without scoring, lbw to Balderson in the next over, the day was in the balance at 159-4. That was when Zaib arrived at the crease and he showed why Northants were keen to hand him a new contract during the winter with some really punchy strokes, including pulling Phillip over mid-wicket for the day's only showed admirable support for Sales, who looked primed for a century only to hole out to mid-on as he tried a big shot off the left-arm spin of Tom Zaib went on in the evening sunshine, in the company of McManus, as the pair took advantage of some tired bowling with the new the 26-year-old left-hander brought up his hundred with a lovely four through point off the back foot, one of 16 boundaries in his 167 balls at the been bowled out in less than 78 overs in total in their defeat by Kent last week, it was a fine response from the Northants it leaves a lot of work to do for Division Two's pre-season favourites Lancashire to get back into things over the next couple of days.
