GLAMORGAN v CARDIFF UCCE

This 13-a-side friendly sees Glamorgan take to the field with the following team - Z ul Hassan, EJ Byrom, SA Northeast (capt), KS Carlson, CA Ingram, WT Root, CB Cooke (wkt), TR Bevan, EO Leonard, Shoaib Bashir, AW Gorvin, T van der Gugten and BJ Morris.

Glamorgan vs. Cardiff UCCE at Sophia Gardens - Match Report

Glamorgan face Cardiff UCCE in their annual 3-day pre-season fixture at the Home of Welsh Cricket in Sophia Gardens, five days before the start of the Rothesay County Championship, where the Welsh county face Leicestershire in Cardiff.

Lunchtime Report: 

Eddie Byrom and Zain-ul-Hassan opened the batting for Glamorgan, and after missing much of last season followed by the winter, the duo looked keen to get back to the rhythm of red-ball cricket. Facing Cardiff UCCE new-ball bowlers Joseph Davies and Asim Hameed, who both are regulars for the Glamorgan 2nd XI, Byrom and ul-Hassan got off to a confident start, driving the ball through covers and cutting hard past point. However, Zain-ul-Hassan, in an attempt to drive a ball through covers, ended up edging the ball to Rhodri Lewis at second slip, who recently signed for the Wales National County team. Captain Sam Northeast came in and continued where Zain-ul-Hassan had left off, finding boundaries with ease. At the stroke of lunch, Eddie Byrom lost his wicket in an attempt to pull the ball outside leg stump off new Nottinghamshire fast bowler Francis Moore, and ended up gloving the ball to wicketkeeper Henry Hurle, a familar face at Glamorgan. Cardiff UCCE captain Nic Halstead-Cleak introduced spin for the final few minutes of the session in the form of left-arm spinner Fahad Sabir, but Kiran Carlson and Sam Northeast saw his overs off and headed for lunch.

Teatime Report

Despite the wicket of Kiran Carlson early in the afternoon session, it was Glamorgan who dominated throughout the two hours. Captain Sam Northeast got his century in a classic Sam Northeast knock, and Colin Ingram came in and scored yet another another half-century in Sophia Gardens. The two experienced batters showed no signs of pre-season stiffness, as they played their shots against the Cardiff UCCE spinners, who bowled much of the session. The sun baking down Sophia Gardens and the senior batters at the crease, the crowd enjoyed the afternoon session as they got to see some classic strokes off the bats of both Northeast and Ingram. Sam Northeast, in an attempt to launch the left-arm spinner into the stands, was caught at mid-off for 137, and the players walked off for tea with the score at 300/4. 

Stumps Report

Glamorgan decided to declare their innings at 363/5 with an hour to for the day's play. Umpires Alex Wharf and Sam Hollingshead called an end to a wonderful day of cricket at 6 PM, as Glamorgan bowlers managed to get 13 overs in the final fifty minutes of the day. Timm van der Gugten and Ned Leonard took the new ball against the university batters, and bowled in disciplined areas, but were matched in discipline by the Cardiff UCCE openers, among whom was Glamorgan player Asa Tribe. England Test spinner and new Glamorgan loan signing Shoaib Bashir rolled his arm over for three overs in his first game at the Home of Welsh Cricket. Cardiff UCCE 24/0 in reply to Glamorgan's total of 363. 

Lunchtime Report

Another glorious day at Sophia Gardens, the sun came out and blessed viewers at the Home of Welsh Cricket, particularly the Cardiff UCCE batters. The pitch hardened up and offered the students a great track to bat on, and they grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Asa Tribe, one of the three Glamorgan players representing Cardiff UCCE for the game, scored his first half-century of the season. South Africa-born and Cardiff UCCE captain Captain Nic Halstead-Cleak, batting alongside the Jerseyman Asa Tribe, played some expansive drives and lovely pull shots to get him to his well-deserved half-century. Cardiff UCCE ended the session at 145/1. 

Teatime Report

Another session which belonged to the students. The consistently bright sun made the pitch nice and hard, offering predictable bounce to the batters who made the most of it. Asa Tribe was dismissed shortly after scoring his half century, but captain Nic Halstead-Cleak went on to score a brilliant century. Sam Northeast kept swapping around the bowlers to ensure they do not overbowl ahead of the Rothesay County Championship opener on Friday against Leicestershire. Ben Kellaway, another Glamorgan player, scored a half-century batting in the afternoon session, rounding up a great session of cricket for Cardiff UCCE. 

Stumps Report

Cardiff UCCE batters got the licence to hit post the tea session, with the inevitable declaration around the corner. Finishing at 450/9, the university team declared with 20 minutes left of the day's play, hoping to get a wicket or two before stumps. However, the Glamorgan openers in Billy Root and Eddie Byrom tackled the new ball with relative ease, and even felt free to open their arms and attack the odd loose ball. At stumps, Glamorgan finished at 28/0 after just 5 overs of their second innings, as the UCCE bowlers found it extremely difficult to go past the bat of the Glammy openers.

An unbeaten 98 by Sam Northeast plus 81 by Kiran Carlson and 76* from Colin Ingram saw Glamorgan to 352-6 on the final day of their friendly against Cardiff UCCE at Sophia Gardens, leading by 265 runs as the match ended in a draw.

Close of Play Report

Glamorgan resumed on 247-6 and a lead of 160 as the final session began with around an hour remaining. Asa Tribe and Sam Read resumed the bowling duties with Ingram sweeping Tribe for four before Northeast cover-drove his 93rd delivery to complete his second half-century of the game. Ingram also flayed Read through the covers for four. Northeast straight-drove Tribe for consecutive sixes before Ingram on-drove Read for a pair of fours.

Ingram then reached his fifty from 56 balls before Northeast pulled Will Tripcony for four. Ingram then brought up their century stand by late-cutting Tribe for four. Northeast steered Tripcony through backward point for a pair of fours before harpooning Tribe for four to deep mid-wicket. Ingram then on-drove Tripcony for four before Northeast pulled Jude Wright for six

The Welsh county then declared at 4.50pm, with the players shaking hands as the game ended in a draw.

Afternoon Report

Glamorgan began the session on 138-5, leading by 51 runs, with Kiran Carlson and Sam Northeast looking to stabilise the innings further. In the third over, Carlson had a moment of good fortune as he edged Joseph Davies through the slip cordon. He celebrated later in the over by punching the left-armer through point for four en route to completing his fifty from 66 balls.

The sixth wicket pair continued to quietly accumulate as Ben Kellaway entered the attack at the River End with Fahad Sabir’s left-arm spin at the Cathedral Road End. Northeast steered Kellaway through backward point for four with Carlson sweeping Sabir to square-leg for another boundary. Northeast also swept Sabir to fine-leg before Carlson lofted Sabir over extra-cover for six.

With the total on 208, Carlson’s fine innings came to an end as he was bowled by Kellaway with Colin Ingram replacing him in the middle. The southpaw began by on-driving Sabir for four before lofting the spinner for a straight six.

Lunch report

Glamorgan began the day on 28-0, trailing by 59 with Billy Root and Eddie Byrom looking for further time in the middle ahead of the Championship campaign. Root struck the day’s first boundary as he square-cut a ball from Joseph Davies for four, before Eddie Byrom punched Francis Moore off the back foot to the ropes at backward point followed by a languid glance off his legs later in the over to fine-leg. But Davies struck in his third over of the morning as Root departed l.b.w. with the total on 44.

Zain ul Hassan joined Byrom and he opened his account by pulling Francis Moore for six into the Grandstand, followed later in the over by a coruscating straight drive for four. After surviving a sharp chance in the gully, Byrom then cover drove Jude Wright for four. But ul Hassan was not so fortunate as, with the total on 71, he outside edge Asim Hameed low into the slips where Nick Halstead-Cleak completed a tumbling catch diving low at first slip.

Kiran Carlson was Byrom’s new partner and he started by on-driving Jude Wright before Byrom pulled Hameed for six. But in the next over Byrom did the same to Wight and was caught by Kellaway. 89-3 saw Chris Cooke make his way to the middle to join Carlson, who proceeded to strike each bowler for four through backward point before drilling Wright through mid-off for another four. Cooke became the fourth batter to depart during the morning session as he edged a delivery from Hameed into Hurle’s gloves.

Tom Bevan, the new batter, arrived with the total on 110-4 and he began with a firm cover drive off the front foot against Hameed but next over and, with the total on 119, he was bowled by Wright as a delivery appeared to scuttle through. Sam Northeast duly made his way to the middle to join Carlson with the two captain’s, red-ball and white, looking to see their side through to lunch.