Gloucestershire’s hopes of securing their first County Championship victory since 2022 soared on day two of their Division Two clash with Northamptonshire, thanks to a dominant bowling performance led by Marchant de Lange.
The South African paceman, who had already claimed a six-wicket haul against Middlesex this season, unleashed a barrage of hostile deliveries to dismantle Northamptonshire’s batting lineup. De Lange’s 5 for 42 included a double-wicket maiden, leaving the hosts reeling at 171 all out, 238 runs behind Gloucestershire’s first-innings total of 409.
De Lange also played a crucial role in Gloucestershire’s first-innings tally, contributing an unbeaten 36, including two towering sixes, to Josh Shaw’s 44. Siddarth Kaul, making his debut for Northamptonshire, managed to complete a five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5 for 76.
Despite their commanding lead, Gloucestershire opted not to enforce the follow-on. Instead, openers Cameron Bancroft (36 not out) and Ben Charlesworth (41 not out) extended the visitors’ advantage to 315 runs, reaching 77 for 0 at the close of play.
Gloucestershire’s innings resumed on 338 for 8, with Shaw and de Lange launching a blistering assault on the Northamptonshire bowlers. De Lange’s sixes off Ben Sanderson and George Scrimshaw set the tone for a rapid accumulation of runs, securing a fourth batting point before Kaul dismissed Shaw for 44.
Northamptonshire’s reply began promisingly, with Ricardo Vasconcelos smashing a six over long leg. However, de Lange’s introduction turned the tide, as he dismissed Vasconcelos and Karun Nair in quick succession. George Bartlett and Luke Procter briefly threatened a recovery, but spinner Zafar Gohar and Tom Price chipped away at the hosts’ resistance.
De Lange returned to claim the wickets of Kaul and Sanderson, while Gohar wrapped up the innings by trapping Liam Patterson-White lbw. Gloucestershire’s bowlers had reduced Northamptonshire to 171 all out, leaving the visitors in a commanding position heading into day three.
