Northamptonshire in control

Stand-in captain Lance Klusener and Niall O’Brien helped Northamptonshire take a vice-like grip on their crucial clash with rock-bottom Glamorgan.

Klusener, deputising for injured skipper Nicky Boje, smashed 202 not out for his highest ever first-class score and O’Brien hit 168 as the hosts racked up 488 for seven declared, for a lead of 201.

Johan van der Wath then started where he had left off in the first innings by dismissing Gareth Rees and the visitors face a difficult task to save the game, going into the final day 173 runs behind.

O’Brien started the day on 99 not out and reached his second championship ton of the season off 224 balls when he nudged Robert Croft to fine leg for a single.

The Irish international then put his foot down and picked up the scoring rate with Klusener as the pair peppered the boundaries at regular intervals.

In the 91st over, O’Brien moved past his previous highest score of the season, 131, with a pull to the square leg boundary.

Lance Klusener hit a double hundred to hand Northants the advantage © Getty Images

Three overs later he took 14 off a Croft over with two fours and a six and brought up his 150 off 290 deliveries, which included 16 boundaries and a six.

But soon after the stand for the fifth wicket passed 200 the Ireland star fell for 168 when he took a wild swing at Dean Cosker and was stumped by Mark Wallace – eight runs shy of his career best 176.

Klusener moved to his second century of the season soon after lunch when he drove Croft through mid-off for his 12th four from 227 balls.

To rub salt into the off-spinner’s wounds he helped himself to another three boundaries and became the first Northants batsman to move past 1,000 runs for the season in the 110th over – narrowly beating David Sales on 998 to the landmark.

Andrew Hall made 16 before he inside-edged Alex Wharf to Wallace.

Fellow South African van der Wath added 14 but was on his way when he gave Wallace another simple catch to hand Jason Gillespie his first wicket.

But Klusener continued to pile on the runs and moved past 150 just before the tea interval and received great support from Monty Panesar in the final session.

The former South Africa international all-rounder smashed Wharf for four boundaries in the 145th over of the innings and brought up his first ever double ton with another four through mid-on off Wharf.

Klusener declared at the end of the over but was soon back in action when Rees drove van der Wath into his hands at mid-on and departed for 13.

Glamorgan skipper David Hemp joined Richard Grant at the crease but when the light was offered in the eighth over they had no hesitation in accepting it.