Peters asserts Northants' advantage

Opener Stephen Peters scored an unbeaten 204 to put Northamptonshire in full charge of their County Championship match against Glamorgan on the second day at Swansea. Peters, who shared in an unbeaten partnership for the fifth wicket with his captain Andrew Hall worth 138, helped the visitors to 434 for 4 at the close - a first innings lead of 182.

The former Essex and Worcestershire batsman had to wait until the final over of the day to reach his landmark from 389 balls, with 22 fours in nearly eight hours in the middle. It was the Division Two leaders' day after they had resumed the second morning on 67 without loss, 185 runs behind Glamorgan.

Mal Loye and Peters extended their opening partnership to reach their first century opening stand of the season. Both batsmen reached half-centuries - Loye reaching his first from 159 balls and Peters following him from 133 balls. After failing to make the early breakthrough Glamorgan captain Alviro Petersen opted for an all-spin attack for the final 55 minutes of the morning session.

It did the trick when Loye (61) was well caught by Gareth Rees from a ball from Croft which turned and lifted sharply. It left Northamptonshire 119 for 1. Peters nearly became Croft's second victim as in the next over he edged the offspinner through slip for four, before nearly edging him to Petersen at leg slip. It was a torrid few overs for the opener who survived confident appeals for leg before wicket and a catch behind off Cosker.

After a sequence of eight overs without a boundary, Peters cut Cosker for four before next over bringing up the 150 with a cover drive as Northamptonshire reached lunch at 160 for 1. Glamorgan continued with the spinners after lunch and in the sixth over Cosker broke through, bowling Rob White.

New batsman Alex Wakely showed a positive approach hitting a breezy 38 from 27 balls. He was especially brutal on Croft, who he hit over long-on for six and to midwicket for four in successive balls from one over - and followed that up with four boundaries in the next.

At the other end Peters reached his century off 223 balls before he lost Wakely, who was stumped off Cosker. After exclusively relying on spin either side of lunch, Glamorgan took the new ball in the 86th over - and it produced dividends.

James Harris had Rob Newton well caught, low down at cover to give the 21-year-old his 200th first-class wicket - the youngest to achieve the landmark for Glamorgan. The visitors turned the screw in the final session with Hall reaching his half-century from 78 balls with a six and six fours.