A brace of fifties from Chris Cooke, Will Bragg, David Lloyd and Graham Wagg saw Glamorgan to 348 on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire at The SSE SWALEC. In reply, the visitors were 15/0 at the close.
Close of Play Report
Glamorgan resumed after tea on 231/6 with Graham Wagg and Craig Meschede looking to consolidate and accrue further batting points. The proceedings began with the pair exchange some bludgeoning blows with Wagg off-driving Jigar Naik for four whilst Meschede deftly glanced Ben Raine to fine-leg for four before pulling the seamer to the ropes at square-leg. He then despatched Naik over the head of mid-off for four before twice lofting him high over long-on for six.
Wagg then completed his fifty from 81 balls by unleashing a classical off-drive against Raine – his sixth boundary – before biffing Neil Dexter through extra cover and mid-on for further boundaries. With Glamorgan on 294/6 and the new ball an over away, Charlie Shreck returned at the River End and with his fifth delivery, he ended Wagg’s stay at the crease as he miscued a drive back into the bowler’s hands.
After Mark Wallace had arrived at the crease, the visitors took the new ball as Clint McKay, with four wickets already to his name, returned to the attack, but he was steered through point for four by Wallace as the third batting point was secured. Seven runs later, McKay claimed his fifth victim as he trapped Wallace leg before. Michael Hogan then used the long handle to hoist a coupler of balls into the leg-side whilst Meschede drilled Shreck to the ropes at long-on.
With the total on 322, McKay struck again as Meschede holed out at long-off and with Timm van der Gugten as his new partner, Hogan flayed another four against Shreck. Van der Gugten then flayed McKay through the covers for four. Some scrambled singles and selective hitting saw the Welsh county to within a couple of runs of another batting point, but van der Gugten was caught behind.
This left Leicestershire with four overs to face in the day, but Angus Robson and Paul Horton safely negotiated the task as Leicestershire ended an enthralling first day on 15/0.
Teatime Update
Having seen his side reach 109/2 at lunch, Chris Cooke completed his half-century in the third over after the interval as he clipped Charlie Shreck through mid-wicket. Will Bragg had earlier enjoyed a moment of good fortune as he inside-edged a drive against Clint McKay to fine-leg and he celebrated by despatching Shreck through the covers to bring up the century stand, before on-driving McKay to complete a 100-ball fifty.
Cooke then despatched Shreck for four through extra-cover but later in the over their valiant stand came to an end as he edged a repeat of the stroke into Jigar Naik’s hands in the gully. 132/3 immediately became 132/4 as Bragg edged the next ball from McKay to second slip. McKay made further inroads in his next over as he bowled Aneurin Donald.
David Lloyd began by threading a cover drive against Shreck for four before flicking McKay to the ropes at backward square-leg. He then greeted the return of Ben Raine by cutting him to third man before square-driving Shreck for another four. When Raine dropped short in his next over, Lloyd deposited him to square-leg for another nonchalant four before carefully guiding Wayne White to third man.
Having quietly bided his time with a series of one’s and two’s, Graham Wagg struck his first four as he lofted Raine over mid-wicket before repeating the stroke next over for three to bring up the 50 stand. Lloyd then steered White through backward point before the 200 came up as he pulled McKay for four. The all-rounder then completed his fifty, from 73 balls as he drilled Neil Dexter through extra cover for another four.
Wagg opened his shoulders again as he pulled Dexter for an imperious four followed next delivery by a lofted off-drive for six before welcoming the return of Jigar Naik by driving the spinner through the covers. But shortly before tea, Lloyd became the third man to reach fifty and then depart as he edged Dexter into the wicket-keeper's gloves, with Craig Meschede joining Wagg for the last five minutes of the session
Lunchtime Report
The roses may be blooming in the glorious Spring sunshine at the RHS Garden Show in Bute Park, but across the River Taff in Sophia Gardens, the daffodils have been developing nicely as well, with a strengthened and rejuvenated Glamorgan squad unbeaten during their sequence of pre-season matches and friendlies, with three batsmen having already registered centuries.
But the serious business of the Specsavers County Championship – the premier first-class competition – started this morning and after the toss had taken place, Glamorgan opted to bat first with James Kettleborough clipping the second ball of the game to backward square-leg for four before driving Ben Raine through backward point for four, and then deftly leg-glancing McKay for another four.
Jacques Rudolph also opened his account with a fluent four through the covers against Raine, but with the total on 24, McKay struck in his third over as Kettleborough departed l.b.w. Four balls later, the Australian seamer removed the Glamorgan who edged a drive into Niall O’Brien’s gloves. Chris Cooke duly announced his arrival by straight driving McKay before Will Bragg clipped McKay to square-leg for four, followed by a rasping square-drive off the back foot against Raine.
Cooke brought up the fifty by clipping Neil Dexter to mid-wicket before steering Charlie Shreck through extra cover. He then struck a brace of fours in Dexter’s fourth over, the pick being a coruscating drive to long-on, before Bragg brought up the fifty stand by punching Shreck off the back foot through cover as well as off the front foot through mid-off. Shortly before lunch, Cooke greeted the introduction of Wayne White by flicking him to long-leg for four before cover driving the next two deliveries to the ropes as the hundred came up in the 27th over.