GARETH Batty took advantage of some dismal Northamptonshire batting to capture a career-best 7-52 and put Worcestershire in command on the opening day of the Frizzell Championship Division One clash at Wantage Road.

Watched by England selector Geoff Miller, the 26-year-old overcame discomfort from a painful spinning finger to thoroughly enjoy himself on a pitch offering only a moderate amount of turn.

He snapped up four wickets in the space of eight deliveries either side of lunch, including skipper David Sales for a first ball duck, as the hosts were dismissed inside two sessions for 177.

Then the County -- boosted by Stephen Peters' unbeaten 63 -- eased to 119-1 in reply.

The first hour of the match offered no hint of the collapse to come.

Northants openers Tom Huggins (51) and Tim Roberts (30) attacked the seamers with relish to score 56 in only 14 overs, Huggins hoisting Batty for two big sixes on the way to a maiden championship half-century.

But Batty broke through in his third over, courtesy of Roberts' undistinguished swipe across the line, and followed up by removing South African Martin van Jaarsveld.

Huggins' impressive 109-ball knock ended just before the break. He pushed forward to Batty but lifted his right heel for an instant and wicketkeeper Steve Rhodes completed a brilliant stumping.

Batty's next ball clean bowled Sales on the back foot, and he made further inroads in his first over of the afternoon as Graeme Swann clipped loosely to mid-wicket and Gerry Brophy played on.

Northants were then 123-6 with all the wickets falling to the Yorkshireman.

His chance of an 'all-ten' was ruined moments later when Usman Afzaal (32) fell into an obvious trap, hooking Matt Mason to long leg where Stephen Moore -- one of two men posted for the shot -- clung on to a difficult chance running in.

Shaftab Khalid accounted for Ben Phillips and Johann Louw, leaving Batty to tidy up by sending back last man Jason Brown.

Their efforts were put into perspective by Peters and Graeme Hick (30no) who added an unbroken 69 for the second wicket after the loss of Moore for 18 to a close catch off Brown.

Worcestershire, however, added only five runs to their overnight score before they lost Hick for 34 when he was bowled by Graeme Swann.