Northeast Breaks All-Time Lords Record
Rhodri Evans
Glamorgan captain Sam Northeast hit the highest ever first-class score at Lord’s as he made an unbeaten 335 against Middlesex on day two of the County Championship.
Northeast, newly appointed red-ball captain of Glamorgan, overtook Graham Gooch’s 333 for England against India in 1990.
The former Kent and Hampshire man put on an unbeaten stand of 299 with fellow centurion Colin Ingram – 132 not out – before the captain declared, leaving Glamorgan on 620-3.
Having come to the crease yesterday morning, Northeast hit 36 fours and 6 sixes in his mammoth 411-ball knock.
He managed to put on at least a hundred partnership with every batsman he was joined at the crease with, making 129 with Billy Root (67) and 176 with Kiran Carlson (77) as well as today massive effort with Ingram.
The Glamorgan captain now has the two highest ever scores for the Welsh county after hitting 410 in 2022, with previous captains David Lloyd and Steve James the only other men with triple centuries to their names.
Northeast was given a couple of lives throughout the second day – a drop at backward point and a stumping chance went begging before he set his sights firmly on breaking the Lord’s record.
After some relentless accumulation in the morning session, Northeast and Ingram started to unfurl their array of white-ball shots in search of that elusive fifth batting bonus point.
For Ingram’s part, his was mostly a supporting knock, restrained by his standards. Once his hundred was in sight though, the South African started to show why he has been such a great white ball player for the club, hitting four massive maximums with Tom Helm and Josh de Caires taking the brunt of the punishment.
They had to settle for four bonus points in the end, but with Middlesex needing at least 471 to avoid the follow-on, Glamorgan have put themselves in an excellent position to equal the number of wins they recorded all season at the first attempt.
Middlesex batted out 51 overs as former England opener Mark Stoneman passed fifty.
Newly arrived Warwickshire loanee Craig Miles broke an obdurate opening partnership of 79 between Stoneman and Sam Robson with a nip-backer down the slope that nailed Robson’s off stump.
Max Holden joined Stoneman at the crease and saw out the end of another successful day for Glamorgan.
With new coach Grant Bradburn saying before the season that “it doesn’t matter how many games we lose this season, it’s how many we win”, Northeast has led from the front in that respect.
Glamorgan 620-3 dec (139 overs): Northeast 335*, Ingram 132*, Carlson 77; Bamber 2-90
Middlesex 138-1 (51 overs): Stoneman 62*; Miles 1-28