Hall the hero for Northamptonshire

Andrew Hall grabbed four wickets to help Northants to victory over Glamorgan

Former South Africa all-rounder Andrew Hall took 4-14 as Northamptonshire finally recorded their first win of the season with a 35-run success over Glamorgan in the Friends Provident Trophy.

After the Steelbacks set the Dragons 201 runs to win in a rain-reduced 39-over match Hall ran through the Dragons’ middle order with a devastating six-over spell at the County Ground.

Hall’s burst had the visitors reeling at 95 for eight at one-point but some late resistance from Dean Cosker and Adam Shantry with a stand of 70 in 10 overs gained some respectability.

After a rain-delayed start, Glamorgan chose to field but Rob White made the Steelbacks’ intentions clear when he despatched Shantry over square leg for six in the fourth over.

However, the visitors hit back an over later when James Harris removed Niall O’Brien for five.

White (21) failed to capitalise on his bright start, playing round a straight one from Garnett Kruger before Hall dragged a David Harrison delivery onto his stumps to leave the Steelbacks struggling at 46 for three.

Captain Nicky Boje and Riki Wessels launched a counter-attack, exploiting the second powerplay and their 50 partnership came from only 28 balls.

But after racing to 39 from 22 balls Wessels tried one big shot too many and skied a return catch to Cosker.

Boje (32) then fell to opposite number Jamie Dalrymple and at 108 for five in only the 17th over, Northants had got the early-innings tempo all wrong and it was left to Steven Crook and Mark Nelson to rebuild.

They added 47 for the sixth wicket before the impressive Cosker had Nelson stumped by Mark Wallace for 23.

Riki Wessels hit 39 off just 22 balls as Northants reached 200-9 from 39 overs

The spinner then snapped up David Willey for a duck in his next over on his way to recording figures of 3-26.

The steady fall of wickets delayed the batting powerplay, which produced just nine runs once Crook fell to Harrison for 42.

Last pair Lee Daggett and Ryan Cummins took the Steelbacks to 200 for nine with a last-wicket partnership of 22.

Without Australian opener Mark Cosgrove, who damaged a hamstring against Essex yesterday, the Dragons were soon on the back foot when stand-in James Harris was bowled by David Lucas for a duck.

The Welsh side crawled to 44 for one at the end of the 12th over and were in dire trouble when Daggett removed Gareth Rees (22) and Ben Wright (0) in the space of three balls.

Michael Powell tried to rebuild the innings but when he drove Hall loosely to White at point and departed for 30 the visitors’ challenge had all but ended.

Hall then cleaned up Tom Maynard to leave Glamorgan at 71-5 and needing 117 off the final 13 overs.

Dalrymple took 10 runs from the first five balls of the batting powerplay before he fell to Crook, and Wallace and Harrison soon followed, both skying Hall into the deep.

Cosker raced to a boundary laden 50 before the close but after Hall’s burst it was never going to be enough.