Date-stamped : 17 May97 - 06:16 Students build on success By Doug Ibbotson at Fenner`s First day of three: Northants (10-0) trail Cambridge Univ (280-9 dec) by 270 runs ALAS for Northants, the glories of a century partnership by Smith and Jones was followed by another from House and Hughes at Fenner`s, where Ed, Robin, Will and Quentin topped the bill for Cambridge University. Robin Jones set the tempo with a virtuoso fifty containing six fours and a five before Ed Smith, on 59 and in splendid form, was run out on captain Anurag Singh`s impossible call. Hard-hitting Will House stormed past his half-century off 63 balls with eight fours and a six, leading the charge into a second century stand with Quentin Hughes (32). A measure of cheer for the county came with four maiden first- class wickets for Jason Fred Brown, an off- spinner by any other name. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Northants treadmill By Doug Ibbotson at Fenner`s Second day of three: Northants (191-3) trail Cambridge Univ (280-9 dec) by 89 runs SELDOM has the cypher `RSP` been so gratefully received as at Fenner`s where, as Northants lumbered through their tedious first innings, a time and motion expert may well have concluded that both had ceased to exist. Furthermore it was cold. Whereas on day one, various Cambridge University batsmen put themselves about if not with abandon then certainly as if they were enjoying life, the Northants professionals looked as if they were on a treadmill. True, the new pitch betrayed occasional idiosyncrasies, the odd delivery staying low or rising unexpectedly, but where the students took it all in their stride, Northants clearly regarded these vagaries as a threat to first-class averages. Under the circumstances, the Light Blues were to be commended for their enthusiastic persistence and generally alert fielding and bowling, the most expensive of which did not concede more than 3.7 an over. Indeed, that of Mark Dawson, 11 overs for 23 runs, and Adam Janisch, one wicket for eight in six overs, would have been creditable in the limited-over context. Not so Northants` batting, which produced only 73 runs for a loss of two wickets before lunch and was less than scintillating at the point of suspension. Rob Bailey, dropped at mid-on off Robin Jones when 25, reached 50 off 87 balls and resumes this morning on 88. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Predictable end to the boredom By Doug Ibbotson at Fenner`s Cambridge Univ (280-9 dec & 61-3) drew with Northants (367-8 dec) THE matches in which Northamptonshire and Cambridge are involved today will be infinitely more interesting than that which, after a long and painful sickness, expired at Fenner`s yesterday. Northants, restored virtually to full strength, will challenge the Australian tourists, while the Light Blues take on their Oxford rivals, also 50 overs a side, for the Johnson- Fry Trophy. Yesterday`s encounter, like the previous first-class fixture, against Essex, was affected by rain. In each case Cambridge batted first, brightly enough, but the professionals preferred to indulge in batting practice rather than seek competitive accommodation. Maybe as a gesture of disdain, captain Anurag Singh, as he had against Essex, tinkered with the batting order, and thereby brought the faintest whiff of hazard. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)