NORTHAMPTONSHIRE skipper David Sales fell four short of a deserved century against promotion-chasing Worcestershire before a frantic dash to hospital to see the birth of his third son.

Sales, with good support from Ben Phillips, rescued his side from a perilous 148 for five, racing off to see wife Abigail give birth to Charlie after falling to Roger Sillence.

The day that began well for Sales when he won the toss and elected to bat but once Worcestershire, needing a win to have any chance of promotion, introduced the off-spin of Gareth Batty they threatened to dismiss the hosts well before the close.

Batty got turn from his first over but Northants battled back to finish on 342 all out and England star Monty Panesar will be licking his lips in anticipation of a bowl on day two.

Northants openers Chris Rogers and Stephen Peters comfortably saw off the new ball from Zaheer Khan and Kabir Ali but the pair were in deep trouble as soon as Batty was thrown the ball.

Their partnership of 46 came exclusively off the pacemen but it only took Batty two balls to make the breakthrough.

The in-form Rogers, who hit a century and a double century against Somerset last week, was bowled by Batty for 28 and Usman Afzaal fell for a duck in the England reject's next over.

But Sales and Peters added 55 for the third wicket before Peters succumbed to Batty's nagging line and length, playing on after making a painstaking 38 from 100 balls.

Batty had his fourth wicket in the ninth over after lunch when Bilal Shafayat was caught at first slip by Graeme Hick for 18.

Three overs later, Worcestershire captain Vikram Solanki held on to a sharp return catch to get rid of dangerman Lance Klusener, leaving the hosts floundering on 148 for five.

But Sales and Phillips launched the counter-attack and the Northants captain smashed Batty for a huge six over long-on to bring up his 50.

Phillips, making his last appearance for Northants, reached his half-century from 79 balls and the pair added 113 in 25 overs before tea to give Northants a foothold.

But they lost the momentum in the final session after Sales fell. The 28-year-old miscued a drive off Sillence straight to Khan at mid-on and Steven Crook soon followed to the same bowler for a duck.

Worcestershire then took the new ball, Khan finding Phillips' edge, with Steven Davies holding on behind the stumps to send the all-rounder back for 75.

Khan bowled David Wigley first ball before Panesar and last man Jason Brown dug in to add 45 for the final wicket.

Panesar fell in the final over of the day for 34 and how he fares with the ball will go a long way to deciding the visitors' chances of playing top-flight cricket next season.