A masterful century from Stephen Peters lit up a rain-affected first day of Northamptonshire's LV County Championship Division Two clash with Glamorgan as the home side reached 224 for four before the heavens opened.

The 30-year-old hit 18 fours in an unbeaten knock of 124 off 140 balls to help Northants to recover from an awful start in which they lost two wickets in the first six overs.

Peters shared an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 126 runs with South African Andrew Hall as Glamorgan's bowlers began to toil.

Adam Shantry in particular had a day to forget, with his six overs going for 45 runs.

The only black mark on Peters' otherwise brilliant innings was when he inadvertently helped dismiss his skipper Nicky Boje in a freak run-out.

Glamorgan won the toss but elected to bowl on what looked a very grassy wicket.

And Jamie Dalrymple's decision brought instant rewards when Rob White was brilliantly caught for a duck at silly mid-on by Gareth Rees off James Harris in the third over.

Alex Wakely made only five runs before Garnett Kruger knocked back his off stump with a superb delivery to leave Northants reeling on 16 for two.

But opener Peters helped steady Northants with some fine strokes, including three fours off a Shantry over, with Riki Wessels also looking well set.

At one stage the pair were cruising along at nearly six runs per over, but Wessels' breezy knock of 39 off 36 balls came to an end when he edged Jim Allenby's delivery to give Glamorgan wicketkeeper Mark Wallace an easy catch.

Boje went soon after in unfortunate circumstances. Peters hit Harris for a perfect straight drive but the bowler reacted quickly to deflect the ball onto the stumps, leaving Boje stranded out of his crease.

Although that left Northants on 98 for four, Glamorgan showed no signs of dislodging Peters who reached his 50 off the next ball - his half-century coming in just 62 balls.

The opener continued in the same vein after lunch and reached his third century of the season.

Hall had now joined him at the crease and together they put on a three-figure stand for the fifth wicket, although Allenby and Robert Croft were able to slow the run rate.

Only rain could stop the two batsmen and they were forced off at 3pm with Peters still going strong and just 54 runs short of a career-best total, while Hall was 48 not out.

The teams took an early tea with just 52 overs gone but no more play was possible at a damp Wantage Road.