Bath continued their unbeaten start to the Zurich Premiership campaign by inflicting an emphatic defeat on Recreation Ground visitors Northampton.

Tries from centre Olly Barkley, wing Lee Best and substitute flanker Scott Gray sunk the Saints, while Barkley also three added penalties as Bath made it two wins out of two this term.

Northampton could only manage two Shane Drahm penalties in reply, and at one stage of the second half were reduced to 13 men when referee Dave Pearson sin-binned forwards Darren Fox and Chris Budgen for technical infringements.

Saints spent much of the game defending, and had Bath shown a little more composure in attack, then they had would have won by an even more convincing margin.

Bath greeted a club Premiership record crowd of 9,381 for their first home league game, but they suffered a late injury blow when former England full-back Matt Perry withdrew through injury.

Perry's place was taken by Jamie Williams, while Northampton were without key forwards Andrew Blowers (concussion), Budge Pountney (broken leg) and Renaud Peillard (calf), but Saints handed ex-All Blacks scrum-half Mark Robinson his first start.

Bath, having crushed the Leeds pack en route to a 44-32 victory at Headingley last weekend, wasted little time announcing their set-piece credentials.

Lock Rob Fidler stole early lineout ball from a Saints throw, then the Bath front row gained ascendancy as Northampton found themselves in all sorts of strife.

It took Bath 12 minutes to open their account, claiming a simply-worked try after Robinson attempted a bold counter-attack from inside his own 22.

Saints full-back Nick Beal dropped Robinson's pass, and Bath flanker Michael Lipman pounced on the loose possession to send an unmarked Best over for a try.

Barkley's conversion drifted narrowly wide, then a long-range penalty bounced back off the crossbar as Bath remained on top territorially and Beal earned a warning from referee Dave Pearson after getting involved in a second needless skirmish.

Ten minutes before the break, Bath thrilled their bumper audience when Barkley scored a brilliant solo try.

Barkley transfixed the Saints defence from 30 metres out, and he ghosted past three Northampton players on a weaving run to the line, but he failed again with the conversion.

Saints showed little in attack, yet a spell of sustained pressure as the opening period drew to a close ended with Drahm kicking a short-range penalty that cut Bath's advantage to seven points.

Barkley then finally found his range with the boot, rifling over a 50-metre penalty and Bath led comfortably at the interval.

Bath knew that an early second-half score would leave Saints with a mountain to climb, and their forwards, sparked by Lipman and skipper Jonathan Humphreys, set about the task with relish.

Saints coach Wayne Smith replaced wing Jon Sleightholme with Oriol Ripol after 48 minutes, and Bath extended their lead within 60 seconds when Barkley landed his second successful penalty.

A second Drahm penalty made it 16-6, but Saints compounded their task when flanker Fox illegally slowed up the release of Bath ruck ball and Pearson had no hesitation brandishing a yellow card.

But Barkley could not punish 14-man Northampton, missing his fourth goal kick of the game as Saints clung on to a glimmer of hope that they could still salvage something from proceedings.

Humphreys and Fidler both departed the action as Bath coach John Connolly utilised his replacements, and Northampton inflicted another damaging wound on themselves when prop Budgen was sin-binned for a technical offence.

It left Saints briefly reduced to 13 players, and gave Bath every incentive they required to finish off the job.

Barkley's third penalty took his personal points haul to 14, and hoisted Bath 19-6 ahead with just three minutes of normal time remaining.

And there was still enough time for Bath to claim their third try, when Gray gathered a loose ball following scrum-half Martyn Wood's steepling kick and touched down.

Teams:

Bath: Williams, Best, Crockett, Barkley, Daniel, Malone, Wood, Flatman, Humphreys, Bell, Fidler, Borthwick, Beattie, Lipman, Fea'unati.

Replacements: Martens, Mears, Stevens, Kydd, Knox, Scaysbrook, Gray.

Tries: Best, Barkley, Gray.

Pens: Barkley 3.

Northampton: Beal, Sleightholme, Tucker, Leslie, Reihana, Drahm, Robinson, Sturgess, Richmond, Budgen, Williams, Lord, Connors, Fox, Soden.

Replacements: Miles, Morris, Phillips, Seely, Howard, Hyndman, Ripol.

Pens: Drahm 2.

Sin Bin: Fox (65), Budgen (74).

Att: 9,381

Ref: Dave Pearson (England).