GLAMORGAN racked up an astonishing 433 for four on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship clash with Northamptonshire as three batsmen hit centuries.

Marnus Labuschagne and Billy Root, two newcomers to Glamorgan's ranks this season, together with Kiran Carlson, hit three figures as the side who finished bottom of Division Two last season piled on the runs at Sophia Gardens.

Labuschagne notched 121, with Root and Carlson both undefeated at the close on 126 and 101 respectively.

Labuschagne, who appeared in five Tests for Australia against Pakistan last winter, played a chanceless innings, scoring his runs from 177 balls with 19 fours, and became the fifth Australian player to score a hundred on debut for the club.

When Root, a summer arrival from Nottinghamshire, reached three figures it was the first time in Glamorgan's history for two players on debut to score a century in the same game.

Root, the younger brother of England batsmen Joe, completed a splendid century from 150 balls. He requires a further six runs to equal his previous championship best of 132, scored against Sussex two years ago.

He will resume alongside Carlson, who exploited the platform given to him by the top order to punish the tiring Northants bowlers, hammering 101 from 103 balls.

Both teams were eager to bat first on an easy-paced pitch and, after Glamorgan had called correctly, Charlie Hemphrey and Nick Selman put on 27 before Selman nicked Nathan Buck to first slip.

Hemphrey soon followed, edging Blessing Muzarabari to the keeper before David Lloyd, with an attractive 31, helped Labuschagne put on 64 for the third wicket.

Lloyd, who struck seven fours, was the next to go when he chipped Muzarabani to square leg, before Root joined Labuschagne to add 154 in the afternoon session.

The Australian eventually departed, caught at long leg from a short delivery, but Carlson started with a flurry of boundaries and outscored Root as he galloped to 50 from only 55 balls. Northants used seven bowlers, but none could make an impression on the fifth wicket pair.

Glamorgan scored at such a rapid pace that they gained the fifth and maximum batting point in only the 92nd over, with Carlson reaching his hundred - the third of the innings - from only 101 balls