Glamorgan 795 for five declared (Northeast 410*, Cooke 191*, Ingram 139) beat Leicestershire 584 (Mulder 156, Mike 91, Hill 81, Kimber 68, Walker 64, Swindells 52, Salter 4-158) and 183 (Mulder 59, Hogan 4-43) by an innings and 28 runs
After spectators at Leicestershire’s Grace Road headquarters had witnessed one among English cricket’s three biggest feats of batting as Northeast completed with a monumental 410 not out in a complete of 795 for five declared in reply to Leicestershire’s first-innings 584, the Welsh county dismissed their opponents for 183 in 59.4 overs to win by an innings and 28 runs.
The victory – which lifts Glamorgan to second place in Division Two – capped a tremendous day by which Northeast joined Brian Lara, Archie MacLaren and Graeme Hick as one among solely 4 gamers within the first-class sport in England to attain greater than 400 runs in an innings.
The Leicestershire complete of 584 is the best in county cricket by a workforce that subsequently misplaced by an innings – smashing the earlier mark of 527 scored in an innings defeat towards Northamptonshire in 1995 – and is regarded as the best in first-class cricket to undergo that destiny anyplace on the earth.
Glamorgan’s coach, Matt Maynard, stated: “To have a man, Sam Northeast, in your side who has joined only nine other players to have scored more than 400 in an innings is incredible. It was a remarkable feat and he batted selflessly as well, when we needed to up the scoring rate.
“A number of issues go right into a rating like. You have to keep up a excessive stage of focus however he by no means appeared to deviate from his plans till proper on the finish, when he began to be extra aggressive.
“I don’t think anyone here will have witnessed a better innings. The way he went from 200 to 300 on Friday, it was as if there were no fielders. Every attacking shot he played went for four. I’ve seen some good players, I’ve batted with some good players, but to see someone maintain that level for so long was just incredible.”
Northeast, who had by no means throughout his 16-12 months profession imagined making 300 till he did so on Friday, now possesses the ninth-highest particular person rating in world cricket, behind solely Lara’s all-time excessive of 501 not out for Warwickshire at Edgbaston in 1994 and MacLaren’s 424 for Lancashire at Taunton in 1895 because the third highest in England. Hick’s 405 not out for Worcestershire, additionally at Taunton in 1988 is nudged all the way down to fourth place.
Leicestershire won’t want reminding that Cooke was dropped on simply 3 and once more on 15 on Friday – each comfy catching probabilities – or that they missed Northeast at slip on 96.
That error, one among solely a handful in your entire marathon innings, appeared a distant reminiscence as Northeast led the gamers off at lunch with virtually each spectator on their toes previous to Glamorgan’s declaration after a morning session that noticed 232 runs scored and a string of data set.
Northeast eclipsed Steve James’s 309 not out as the best rating by a Glamorgan participant and changed Kevin Pieterson’s 355 not out for Surrey at The Kia Oval in 2015 as the best particular person rating towards Leicestershire.
Glamorgan handed their highest earlier complete – 718 for 3 declared within the James match at Colwyn Bay – and the partnership overtook the unbroken 425 by Adrian Dale and Viv Richards towards Middlesex in Cardiff in 1993 because the Glamorgan document for any wicket.
Cooke accomplished his hundred off 161 balls, having hit 12 of his 19 fours to succeed in that mark, later including three sixes in what could be the second highest rating of his profession, behind his unbeaten 205 towards Surrey final season.
Northeast, by nature a classical strokeplayer, reached the cusp of passing 400 having allowed himself the freedom of only one six. Only within the final over earlier than lunch, presumably conscious that it might be the final of the innings, did he throw warning to the wind.
It paid off as he whacked Roman Walker over lengthy-on for six to go to 402 and a spot within the high 10 highest scores of all time, adopted by one other over lengthy-off to maneuver up one other notch by taking down Hick’s 405.
Glamorgan’s declaration at 211 in entrance gave them 65 overs to conjure a outcome and arrived prior to that they had anticipated, in line with Maynard. “The original plan had been to bat on after lunch. But we just scored so quickly that we had the 210-lead at lunch that we thought would take us until 20 minutes or so afterwards. I thought it was perhaps a one in 30 chance of winning.”
The pitch was nonetheless providing valuable little assist to the bowlers. But Salter dismissed Rishi Patel and Lewis Hill after Hogan had eliminated opener Louis Kimber through a advantageous catch by Northeast at second slip. When Hogan had Colin Ackerman and Joey Evison caught behind in the identical over, Glamorgan sensed a chance with Leicestershire 5 down, nonetheless 83 behind and 27 overs remaining.
Wiaan Mulder and Harry Swindells placed on 42 over the subsequent 14 overs, which appeared to tip the steadiness in the direction of Leicestershire surviving, just for the momentum to swing again Glamorgan’s approach as Neser dismissed Swindells and Ben Mike within the house of three balls, each leg-earlier than.
A advantageous catch at cowl by Kiran Carlson accounted for Walker as Harris claimed a wicket earlier than Hogan discovered some away motion from a ball 56 overs outdated to have Mulder caught behind and Neser produced an ideal yorker to bowl Wright to complete the match.