Cricket

Northamptonshire's hopes of salvaging a draw against Glamorgan in their Vitality County Championship clash hang in the balance after a tense final session in Cardiff.Glamorgan, resuming on 111 runs ahead, extended their first-innings lead to 211 thanks to a late-order resurgence led by Mason Crane (56*), James Harris, and Andy Gorvin. Crane, enjoying his most prolific season as a batter, shared a 63-run stand with Harris, while the final wicket partnership between Crane and Gorvin added a further 53 runs, taking Glamorgan's total to 490 all out.Northamptonshire's second innings got off to a solid start with a 59-run opening stand between Emilio Gay and Ricardo Vasconcelos. However, Glamorgan's bowlers gradually gained control, with Gorvin dismissing Gay for 24 and Prithvi Shaw edging to Chris Cooke for 23.Vasconcelos remained resolute, reaching 99 before falling LBW to Crane in the final session. Crane also accounted for Rob Keogh first ball, leaving Northamptonshire four wickets down and level with Glamorgan's first-innings score.Luke Procter (55*) and Lewis McManus guided Northamptonshire to the close without further damage, but the visitors still face an uphill battle to save the game. They will resume on the final day with a slender 25-run lead and six second-innings wickets in hand.Glamorgan, buoyed by Crane's leg-spin brilliance, will be eager to push for victory and secure valuable points in their pursuit of promotion.

Northamptonshire and Yorkshire played out a thrilling draw in their Vitality County Championship match at Wantage Road, with Ricardo Vasconcelos' valiant century ultimately securing a share of the spoils for the hosts.Yorkshire set Northamptonshire a challenging target of 326 to win in just over two sessions, but Vasconcelos' unbeaten 129, featuring 17 boundaries, kept the home side in the hunt. However, a late fightback from Yorkshire's bowlers, led by Adam Lyth's career-best figures of 4-56, saw Northamptonshire lose eight wickets in quick succession.Vasconcelos, who had shared a rapid 63-run stand with Karun Nair (36), had to dig deep to ensure his side held out for the draw. The 33-year-old Portuguese batsman showed great character and maturity, guiding Northamptonshire to safety with eight wickets down.Earlier, Yorkshire captain Shan Masood declared his side's innings on 264 for 6 just before lunch, setting up an intriguing run chase. However, the loss of 17 overs due to rain interruptions ultimately proved too costly for Yorkshire.The draw leaves both sides winless after seven games, with Yorkshire taking 14 points and Northamptonshire 13.