Evening Update

Glamorgan were 37-0 when play began after tea, but Asim Hameed struck with his fourth delivery as Billy Root edged the seamer from Aberdare into the wicket-keeper’s gloves. Sam Northeast joined ul Hassan who clipped Hameed for four to mid-wicket before Northeast on-drove Jospeh Davies – the son of Andrew Davies, the former Glamorgan bowler – for four, followed by a back-foot punch for four through extra-cover.

Ul Hassan continued to steadily accumulate with Northeast drilling Rex through mid-off to bring up the 100 in the 20th over. Northeast then unfurled a trio of booming cover drives against Morris for three fours, before ul Hassan greeted Fahid Sabir by straight driving the left-arm spinner for four. But on 49, ul Hassan then edged Rhodri Lewis’ first ball into the hands of first slip.

136-2 saw Kiran Carlson join Northeast who duly completed his fifty from 62 balls shortly before the close.

Afternoon Report

The students resumed after lunch on 141-3 with Xavvi Clarke cover-driving the first ball after the interval from Jamie McIlroy for four. The left-handed Nic Halstead-Cleak also on-drove Zain ul Hassan for four but with the total on 157 he edged the all-rounder low to first slip where Colin Ingram completed the catch. Next ball, Clarke edged McIlroy with Chris Cooke completing a handsome diving catch to his right.

Ben Kellaway got the scoreboard moving again as he square-drove McIlroy before Chris Gibson opened his account by square-cutting ul Hassan. Kellaway also punched McIlroy through the covers but with the total on 177 Kiran Carlson took another stunning catch, running back and diving one-handed at mid-on to pluck the ball out of the air to remove Gibson and to give ul Hassan his second wicket.

177-6 became 178-7 as McIlroy trapped Morgan Bevans l.b.w. The two Ben’s – Meesrs Kella way and Morris – each cover-drove the bowlers, with McIlroy and Douthwaite conceding further fours, with Kellaway also pulling the latter for six. But with the total on 197 Mason Crane bowled Morris before having Kellaway caught at mid-wicket as the students were dismissed for 206. 

Glamorgan had 25 minutes batting before tea with ul Hassan square-driving Tommy Rex for four before Billy Root steered him through the covers.

Morning Report

After the wettest February and March on record, it was good news for the Glamorgan playing squad that Easter Sunday dawned bright and sunny after a similarly dry day on Saturday allowing the squad to have their first full outdoor practice of the year. The students from Cardiff UCCE have already been in action having been involved in a rain-affected draw against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, where their captain Chris Gibson posted a century.

Glamorgan won the toss and elected to bowl with Jamie McIlroy and James Harris sharing the new ball. Joe Phillips, who is on Gloucestershire’s books, struck the day’s first boundary as he off-drove McIlroy before three overs later square-cutting Harris. He also outside-edged Harris to the vacant ropes at third, but with the total on 17, McIlroy trapped Harry Friend L.B.W.

Having been joined by Asa Tribe, Phillips leg-glanced Harris to fine-leg before pulling him to square-leg. Tribe then square-drove McIlroy for four before clipping him to backward square-leg for four. Phillips then nurdled McIlroy for four before off-driving him for three as the students reached the 50-mark in the twelfth over with Phillips pulled Harry Podmore for four.

Tribe then struck Dan Douthwaite’s first two deliveries for four before Phillips reached his fifty from 58 balls by off-driving Podmore. Tribe also dispatched Douthwaite through the covers for four before steering him through backward point. Phillips also punched Douthwaite through the covers for successive fours, before Tribe flicked Podmore to square-leg. However, the seamer gained revenge as next over he trapped Tribe l.b.w.

120-2 saw Xavie Clarke make his way to the middle and he began with fours to third and square-leg, but Harris returned at the River End and clean bowled the opener for 65.

Evening Update

After a morning of April Showers, play got underway at 1500 with one of the boundaries also being brought in to avoid a still saturated area in front of the Pavilion. Kiran Carlson struck the first boundary in the opening over as he off-drove Tommy Rex before steering Ben Morris to the short boundary at backward point. Sam Northeast also flicked Rex to square-leg before nonchalantly on-driving the youngster for four.

Northeast found the ropes again as he cover-drove Rex before Carlson swatted Asim Hameed for six, as well as nurdling him for four. He repeated the stroke against Morris to bring up the 200, as well as flicking him to square-leg. On 82 Sam Northeast retired with Colin Ingram joining Carlson with the total on 210-2.He began by clipping Joseph Davies to square-leg for four but the left-armer gained revenge two overs later as he had the South African caught at backward point by Ben Kellaway.

220-3 saw the arrival of Chris Cooke at the crease and he began by clipping Ben Morris to mid-wicket for four but Morris found the edge of his bat with Xavvi Clarke at second slip completed a chest-high catch. 229-4 then became 229-5 as Davies bowled Carlson for 43 before four balls later, and no further addition to the total, he trapped Harry Podmore l.b.w.

The drizzle which had been falling then intensified and the players left the field with the total on 233-6.

Morning Report

The opening day of this contest had seen the Glamorgan batters and bowlers gain valuable outdoor practice, with Jamie McIlroy claiming four wickets as the students stuttered after lunch, losing 7 wickets for 55 runs in the space of eighteen overs. Sam Northeast and Zain ul Hassan, who had earlier bowled a decent spell at the Cathedral Road End, then shared a stand of 97 for the second wicket in 23.3 overs with the former reaching his fifty shortly before the close as his side ended the day on 146-2.

A lot of rain fell overnight and with the groundstaff mopping up, the umpires decided at an inspection at 0930 that there would be no play before lunch with lunch being taken at 1230pm. Further rain fell during lunch so the umpires will inspect again at 14.30pm.

Afternoon Update

Cardiff UCCE resumed after lunch on 49-4, still nine runs in arrears with Nic Halstead-Cleak having joined Ben Kellaway, but the new man was bowled fourth ball by Mason Crane. Two balls later Harry Podmore removed Kellaway l.b.w. With the total on 52 Podmore deflected a drive in his follow through from Gibson with the ball lobbing in the air to mid-off where for the second time in the game Kiran Carlson took a superb one-handed catch above his head diving backwards.

However, Podmore sustained a finger injury so Dan Douthwaite completed the over with the students still six runs in arrears. Joseph Davies inside-edged Douthwaite for four but the umpires took the players off the field because of the bad light and drizzle. After half an hour the conditions improved with Morgan Bevans wiping off the arrears as he cover-drove Crane for four, but the rains returned at 15.15pm as an early tea was taken. The rains did not clear and with the light getting worse play was called off with the game ending in a draw.

Morning Report

April showers meant that just 21 overs were possible yesterday on a day when Joseph Davies, the son of former Glamorgan bowler Andrew Davies, grabbed the headlines, with the teenager taking 3/3 in thirteen balls. Further rain fell overnight but thanks to the efforts of the groundstaff, play resumed on time this morning at 11.00am with Glamorgan continuing their innings. Dan Douthwaite struck the first fours of the day as he on-drove and off-drove Ben Morris, but later in the over he spliced another drive on the leg-side with Asim Hameed nonchalantly completing a one-handed catch at mid-wicket.

James Harris then pulled Davies for four but the teenager gained revenge with his next delivery as he bowled the all-rounder. Mason Crane and Jamie McIlroy then joined forces for six overs until Glamorgan declared on 264-8, 58 runs ahead. Harris and McIlroy opened the bowling as Joe Phillips and Harry Friend began the students second innings, with Will Smale also keeping wicket. Harris struck with his fourth delivery as he bowled Phillips who the previous ball had drilled the seamer through the covers for four.

Asa Tribe joined Harry Friend, with the latter surviving a couple of l.b.w. appeals against McIlroy before Tribe cover-drove Harris. But the seamer made further inroads as, with the total on 20, he bowled the Jersey international. Xavvi Clarke opened his account by cover-driving and square-driving McIlroy before Friend pulled Harris for four. Friend then nurdled Harry Podmore for four before off-driving Mason Crane for four, but Podmore trapped his namesake with the total on 45. Four runs later Mason Crane removed Clarke who drove the ball into the hands of Zain ul Hassan at cover