Northamptonshire 366 for 5 (Vasconcelos 115, Zaib 75) lead Worcestershire 306 (Roderick 164*, Sanderson 4-78) by 60 runs
Ricardo Vasconcelos struck a superb 115, his second century of the season as Northamptonshire took a narrow lead over Worcestershire with five wickets in hand on day two of this Rothesay County Championship match at Wantage Road.
It was a contrasting innings of watchful defence and crisp strokeplay, as Vasconcelos struck 18 boundaries and was particularly strong through the covers. It follows his 127 against Kent last month.
He was joined by Saif Zaib in a proactive fourth-wicket stand of 101 in 20 overs. County cricket's leading run-scorer last season, Zaib has had limited opportunities so far but seized his chance with a near run-a-ball 75.
When the pair were parted, James Sales (44) and George Bartlett (35) combined in a telling unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 79 against the new ball to push Northamptonshire in front. They closed on 366 for 5, leading by 60, before bad light stopped play.
Tom Taylor and Oliver Hannon-Dalby threatened all day for the Pears, finding late swing with the second new ball, while Beyers Swanepoel also took two wickets.
Earlier Northamptonshire resumed on 40 without loss and soon lost skipper Luke Procter when Taylor got one to lift sharply and hit the splice of the bat, the ball flying to second slip.
Calvin Harrison edged his first ball past the slips to bring up Northamptonshire's 50 before driving sweetly in Taylor's next over.
Vasconcelos too played a sumptuous drive against Taylor and showed disdain when Matthew Waite bowled short, swivelling to pull for four.
The pair were progressing nicely, adding 43 off 55 balls, when Harrison inside edged a Beyers Swanepoel delivery onto his stumps.
Vasconcelos motored to 50 with three consecutive boundaries, crunching Swanepoel through the covers and pulling him behind square. He tucked into Adam Finch's bowling too, going down on one knee to stroke him through cover and playing an audacious uppercut over the slips.
He put on 77 for the third wicket with Nathan McSweeney who initially found life difficult, beaten outside off-stump during a probing spell from Waite. The Australian found release though as he settled against Finch, punching through extra cover.
Hannon-Dalby and Taylor bowled well with the old ball after lunch, troubling both batters. Runs dried up, but Vasconcelos clipped through midwicket to bring up Northamptonshire's 150 in the 50th over.
McSweeney departed trying to push the score on after getting tied down. He had a big swing to the long boundary against Swanepoel, Hannon-Dalby comfortably taking a high catch at fine leg.
Zaib started briskly but almost fell cheaply when he edged behind on 9. Keeper Gareth Roderick dived across first slip and wasn't able to hold on. Zaib quickly gained fluency, driving and punching through the covers, while Vasconcelos reached his century in style, smashing a wide half volley from Waite in the same direction.
Zaib, always strong against spin, swept and reverse swept Brett D'Oliveira and raced to his half-century off 41 balls before smashing seamer Ethan Brookes over midwicket. Brookes though made the key breakthrough when he trapped Vasconcelos lbw shortly before tea.
Worcestershire took the new ball after the break and soon removed Zaib caught behind off Taylor, playing a non-committal push.
Sales almost played on a couple of times but collected three highly convincing boundaries off one Hannon-Dalby over, including an exquisite straight drive, as Northamptonshire moved past 300. Bartlett then put away a loose legside delivery from Taylor to take the hosts into the lead before driving Hannon-Dalby down the ground.
Bartlett had a late scare when he chased a wide one from Taylor, Brookes unable to hold a sharp high chance at second slip but he responded by punching assuredly through cover.
Sales was also dropped just before stumps, offering a hard chance to D'Oliveira at short extra off Taylor.
