Close of Play Report
Derbyshire had reached 198-1 at tea with Andy Gorvin and Kiran Carlson resuming the bowling duties. Luis Reece drove Gorvin through the covers for four, before Brooke straight-drove him for four. Reece then hoisted Carlson for six over long-on before flicking Gorvin to fine-leg. Guest then on-drove the home captain for four before square-cutting James Harris for four, prior to lofting Carlson over long-on for six to secure the first batting point at 250.

Guest then square-drove Harris for four before departing l.b.w. to the bowler’s next ball as Derbyshire lost their second wicket on 260. Leus du Plooy joined Reece and began with a punched drive through extra-cover before Glamorgan took the new ball after 80 overs. van der Gugten and McIlroy returned to the fray and kept the batters in check with du Plooy eventually steering McIlroy through backward point for four.
James Harris and Zain ul Hassan hen bowled the closing overs with Reece flicking Harris through mid-wicket for another four

Afternoon Report

Luis Reece had reached his fifty from74 balls shortly before lunch with Derbyshire resuming after the interval on 95-1. He was quickly back into his stride as he on-drove Jamie McIlroy for four before pulling James Harris for four as the home attack strove to make further inroads. Brooke Guest also guided Timm van der Gugten through backward point for four before cover-driving him to see Derbyshire to the 150-mark.

Reece then square-cut Kiran Carlson for four before Guest drilled van der Gugten through mid-off, followed by a pull to the ropes at mid-wicket en route to completing an 85-ball fifty. Reece then brought up the century stand by sweeping Carlson for four before Guest nearly mis-hooked Douthwaite into Billy Root’s hands running back at square-leg. Shortly before tea Reece completed his hundred by square-cutting Carlson - his 175th delivery - as the visitors approached the 200-mark.

Morning Update

And so another season of cricket draws to a close - their 96th summer of Championship cricket, excluding the War and COVID years, as far as the Welsh county are concerned, and Matthew Maynard’s 253rd and final game in a coaching capacity with Glamorgan’s 1st XI.

Glamorgan made one change to their team which drew with Yorkshire a fortnight ago at Cardiff with the fit-again Timm van der Gugten replacing Sam Northeast who is not available for this fixture due to recovery from a non-cricket operation. The Dutch international duly took the new ball with Jamie McIlroy as Glamorgan opted to bowl first, with Luis Reece clipping him to square-leg for the day’s first boundary before his partner Harry Came nurdled the bowler to the vacant boundary at third prior to thick-edging him with the same effect. Reece also outside-edged McIlroy during a probing spell from the left-armer before flicking van der Gugten to fine-leg for four.

Reece then flicked Andy Gorvin to mid-wicket and fine-leg for a pair of fours as the opening batters who added 360 in the earlier match at Derby saw the Peakites to the 50-mark after sixteen overs with Came punching Gorvin off the back foot through backward point. Reece also flicked James Harris to square-leg for another crisply-struck boundary before Came did the same in Harris’ next over.

With the total on 79 Dan Douthwaite found the edge of Came’s bat but Colin Ingram at first could not hold onto the head-high catch but it did not prove to be too expensive a miss as Zain ul Hassan struck with his first delivery with Came edging into Chris Cooke’s gloves.

Evening Report

Glamorgan were 8-0 when play resumed after tea but only one over was bowled before the light deteriorated and the players left the field.

Afternoon Update

Kiran Carlson had bowled Matt Lamb as he attempted to cut what proved to be the final ball before lunch so it was Anuj Dal who joined Mitch Wagstaff after the interval with Derbyshire on 351-5 following a further short interruption for rain and the loss of three more overs. Wagstaff began by cover-driving and leg-glancing Zain ul Hassan for a pair of fours. But with the total on 375 Dal chopped James Harris onto his stumps as Derbyshire’s progress faltered again.

Wagstaff then completed his fifty by cover-driving ul Hassan for four - his 63rd delivery - before straight driving Carlson for four and six. Alex Thomson then lofted Harris into van der Gugten’s hands at fine-leg before Wagstaff used the long handle again to swat Carlson for four. However, the home captain had the last laugh as Wagstaff was caught behind shortly afterwards. Zac Chappell then drilled Carlson for six and four before the Peakites declared on 450-8.

ul Hassan and Eddie Byrom opened the batting against Sam Conners and Chappell with the former straight-driving Chappell for four in the penultimate over before tea.

Morning Update

Luis Reece has been Glamorgan’s nemesis in their matches this season against Derbyshire, with the left-handed batter scoring 131 and 201* at Derby, besides sharing an unbroken opening stand of 360 with Harry Came. Yesterday, the pair added a mere 80 before Reece joined forces with Brooke Guest and added 180 in 50.3 overs before ending the day unbeaten on 139, with his side on 308-2 after being put in by the Welsh county on a verdant surface.

Timm van der Gugten and Jamie McIlroy resumed the bowling duties, with the Dutch international striking with his third delivery as Leus du Plooy was caught down the leg-side by Chris Cooke. Matt Lamb began with a square-drive and an on-drive for a pair of crisply-struck fours but after ten minutes play, the light deteriorated and the umpires took the players off the field.

They returned shortly after noon with 15 overs lost and in McIIroy’s first over he found the edge of Reece’s bat with Cooke pouching another wicket with Derbyshire on 316-4. Mitch Wagstaff began with a thick outside-edge for four against the left-armer, before punching him square of the wicket for four - a stroke he also replicated in McIlroy’s next over at the River End and followed by a drive through mid-off for another boundary.

Close of Play Report

By tea Glamorgan had reduced the deficit to 164 so, with his side resuming on 286-4, Chris Cooke reverse-swept Alex Thomson for four but in the spinner’s next over Billy Root advanced down the wicket and was stumped by Brooke Guest as Thomson snaffled his fourth wicket. Having been joined by Dan Douthwaite, Cooke reverse-swept Thomson again for four to bring up the 300 and another batting point, whereupon the home side declared, 149 runs in arrears.

Rain started to fall during the interval between innings causing the further loss of five overs before Luis Reece and Harry Came began Derbyshire’s second innings. Timm van der Gugten and Jamie McIlroy shared the new ball with Came cover-driving the Dutch international for four before clipping the left-armer to the mid-wicket ropes. With the light deteriorating, Kiran Carlson entered the attack along with Eddie Byrom who was swept for four by Reece. Came also pulled Byrom for four before Reece lofted him for six, but with five overs remaining the light got even worse as play ended with Derbyshire on 68-0.

Teatime Report

Glamorgan began the post-lunch session on 143-2 with Kiran Carlson reverse-sweeping Alex Thomson for four prior to thick-edging Sam Connors to the ropes at third. Colin Ingram also off-drove Conners for a pair of fours before pulling him for four, whilst Carlson danced down the pitch to Thomson to drive him for four.

Ingram then under-edged a cut against Thomson for four before dispatching the next ball to the ropes at long-on. He then had his second life as Anuj Dal dropped a sharp chance at backward point when Zak Chappell returned at the River End, but it wasn’t too expensive a fumble as in Thomson’s next over, the southpaw departed l.b.w. to the off-spinner.

191-3 saw Billy Root join Carlson who reverse-swept Thomson before being dropped at slip by Harry Came as he attempted to nurdle Chappell. Root opened his account by square-driving and cover-driving consecutive balls from Chappell for four before sweeping Thomson for six and four. He then straight-drove Chappell for four before steering him off the back foot through point. Carlson slog-swept Thomson for another four but next ball was bowled by the spinner as Glamorgan lost their fourth wicket on 232.

Chris Cooke began by cover-driving Thomson before flicking him to fine-leg, with Root bringing up the 250 and the first batting point by steering Pat Brown through the gully, followed by a nurdle through the slips for another boundary. Cooke then straight-drove Brown before steering him off the back foot through extra-cover. Root on-drove Mitch Wagstaff for six prior to completing his fifty from 61 balls.

Morning Update

Last week it was Hurricanes Lee and Nigel which stole the cricketing headlines, leading to a total of 52% of playing time being lost across the eight matches. Yesterday, it was the turn of Storm Agnes which saw around 20 hours of playing time lost in the nine games, including four hours at Cardiff as Glamorgan’s total of lost time during 2023 went past the 50-mark. This though is small fry compared to Yorkshire who, as a result of weather interference yesterday at Headingley, have lost 103 hours this summer.

All concerned at Sophia Gardens this morning were hoping for drier and brighter conditions after bad light had brought an early finish yesterday with Glamorgan on 22-0 in reply to Derbyshire’s first innings total of 450-8. Sam Conners and Zak Chappell continued the bowling duties with Zain ul Hassan flicking the former for four to fine-leg, followed by a straight drive against the latter. As Eddie Byrom continued to quietly accumulate, ul Hassan greeted the introduction of Anuj Dal into the attack by flicking him to the ropes at fine-leg but in Chappell’s next over, Byrom was caught at backward point by Dal.

45-1 saw Colin Ingram join ul Hassan and he began by cover-driving Chappell before steering Pat Brown through the gully for another four, followed by a pull to square-leg. ul Hassan then steered Dal for four through point before cover-driving Brown over the pair of fielders at silly mid-off. He then hooked Brown for four prior to reaching his fifty by top-edging a pull for six - his 102nd delivery - and eighth boundary. He celebrated by square-driving Reece for four to bring up the Glamorgan hundred.

Ingram then swept the spin of Alex Thomson to mid-wicket for four before twice cutting him through backward point followed by a back foot punch for four against Reece whilst ul Hassan, shortly before lunch also reverse-swept Thomson for four before being bowled by the spinner for 65. Having been joined by Kiran Carlson, Ingram then reached his fifty from 53 balls by square-cutting Reece.

Close of Play Report

Glamorgan had reached 74-3 at tea with Colin Ingram and Billy Root resolutely defending but to the first ball after the interval, Ingram pulled a long-hop from Mitch Wagstaff for four. However, in Zak Chappell’s second over of the session he skewed a ball into the gully where Matt Lamb completed a head-high catch. Chris Cooke joined Root who steered Pat Brown safely through the slips when the seamer replaced Wagstaff at the River End before twice flicking him to fine-leg. But with the total on 95, Brown trapped Root leg before as Dan Douthwaite made his way to the middle

Thomson then returned at the Cathedral Road End and continued to extract some turn and lift from the dry and dusty surface. Douthwaite off-drove him for four as well as Brown in the seamer’s next over as Cooke continued to resolutely defend. Wagstaff had another spell of wrist spin as the final hour began with Conners returning at the Cathedral Road End.

Conners was pulled for four by Cooke before Thomson returned at the River End. Conners also employed a funky field with four men on the drive on the off-side plus four on the leg-side, with the wicket-keeper also standing up to the stumps, and with the last ball of his eighth over he trapped Douthwaite l.b.w. with a ball which kept low.

118-6 saw Andy Gorvin join the doughty Cooke and he also adopted a resolute approach as Leus du Plooy also had a spell before the players shook hands with six balls remaining.

Teatime Update

Resuming on 8-0 after lunch, Zain ul Hassan flicked Sam Conners for four to mid-wicket before Byrom straight-drove Conners for a pair of fours. Ul Hassan nurdled Conners to the ropes at backward point before flicking him to the ropes at square-leg whilst Byrom square-drove Chappell for four followed later in the over by a deft late-cut. He then swept Thomson for four but in the spinner’s next over, and the total on 48, ul Hassan departed l.b.w. attempting a reverse-sweep.

Colin Ingram joined Byrom and outside edged Chappell for four, prior to deftly square-cutting Thomson for four. Byrom then cover-drove Chappell but in the seamer’s next over was bowled. 62-2 saw Kiran Carlson make his way to the middle as Thomson switched to the Cathedral Road End with Pat Brown entering the attack at the River End. The change of ends did the trick for the Peakites as, with the total on 72, Thomson trapped Carlson l.b.w.

Lunchtime Report

An enterprising declaration by Kiran Carlson yesterday afternoon has set up the prospect today of an intriguing finish to Glamorgan’s final game of the season. After half-centuries from Colin Ingram (82), Zain ul Hassan (65) and Billy Root (53), Kiran declared the innings as soon as the follow-on was avoided with Derbyshire then extending their lead of 149 runs to 217 before gloomy light ended play for the day.

Resuming with their side on 68-0, Harry Came and Luis Reece faced the bowling of James Harris and Timm van der Gugten. The latter was cover-driven by Came before Reece lofted the former over wide mid-on for another boundary. The left-hander continued to show positive intent as he then danced down the wicket to the next delivery and whacked it to long-on. Came then flayed van der Gugten through backward point before Reece swatted him for four to complete his fifty from 71 balls.

Reece then lofted the next delivery over mid-wicket for six to bring up the century stand before Came hooked a no-ball from Harris for four prior to hoiking van der Gugten to mid-wicket to reach 50 from 95 balls. Carlson then returned to the attack and bowled Came as he attempted a reverse-sweep. 132-1 saw Brooke Guest join Reece and he began with a booming cover-drive for four against Harris, prior to miscuing a drive against Carlson into Billy Root’s hands.

149-2 saw Leus du Plooy join Reece who completed his 1,000th run for the season prior to the new man bringing up the 300-lead with a flick to fine-leg against Jamie McIlroy. Reece then swept Carlson for four before lofting McIlroy over mid-wicket for six. Reece then straight-drove McIlroy for four before reaching his hundred - his second in the match, as at Derby, - by clipping Carlson for a single to square-leg - his 112th delivery - to also become the first batter to score four successive hundreds in a season against the Welsh county.

Reece celebrated by biffing McIlroy to mid-wicket for four and then sweeping Carlson for four shortly before Derbyshire declared on 234-2 leading by 383 runs. Glamorgan had twelve minutes to bat before lunch.