Evening Report

Play resumed at 4pm with Glamorgan on 153-4 and ten overs having been trimmed from the day’s allocation. Colin Ingram was quickly back into his stride, despite a few rumbles of thunder, as he clipped Matthew Potts to mid-wicket for four. But after 4.2 overs the rains returned and the players left the field for the third time. They did not return as play was called off at 4.45pm.

Teatime update

Glamorgan resumed after lunch on 110-4 with Ben Raine and Paul Coughlin continuing the bowling duties whilst Chris Cooke and Colin Ingram looked to stabilize things after the pre-lunch wobble. Cooke began by punching Coughlin off the back foot through extra-cover but after 38 overs a torrential downpour of sleet and hail forced the players off the field for half an hour, resulting in the loss of one over for the daily quota. Cooke began by twice cutting Rushworth to the vacant ropes at third man besides clipping the veteran to the ropes at mid-wicket. However after four overs, the precipitation returned as the players left the field.

Lunchtime Report

And so began at a shade after 1100 in sunny, bright but blustery conditions, the opening game of the season with Glamorgan batting first after both teams and match officials, like others around the country, had paused for a moment of reflection before taking to the field. The game is also the earliest-ever Championship match at Sophia Gardens, starting two days earlier in the calendar than the contest in 2010 against Sussex. The earliest-ever for the Welsh county was on April 5th, 2012 at Grace Road with Huw Waters making a dramatic start to the Championship season as he dismissed Leicestershire’s Greg Smith and Jacques du Toit with the first two balls of the season, before Ramnaresh Sarwan narrowly avoided being trapped l.b.w. to the third delivery. However, the home side recovered from being 0-2 from 2 balls to record a 52-run victory over the Welsh county.

Ten years on, there wasn’t as much drama in this morning’s opening over as David Lloyd and Andrew Salter began Glamorgan’s innings after Durham had opted to bowl first. Lloyd also struck Rushworth for successive fours in the veteran’s second over, drilling him first through extra cover before clipping him to square-leg. But with the total on 16, Salter was bowled by Matthew Potts who was operating at the River End.

Colin Ingram announced his arrival by square-driving Potts for four before fortuitously inside-edging a delivery to fine-leg. Lloyd then clipped Rushworth to the boards at mid-wicket before Ingram imperiously off-drove Potts followed by another deft flick to backward square-leg. Glamorgan reached the 50-mark at the end of the 13th over before Ingram pulled Paul Coughlin for four when he entered the attack at the River End. But it was the introduction of Ben Raine that led to the next wicket as, with the total on 54, Lloyd edged into the hands of first slip.

Sam Northeast began with a flowing cover drive against Coughlin whilst Ingram drilled Raine through extra-cover before swatting him to the ropes at mid-wicket. Northeast inside-edged Coughlin for four before punching Potts off the back foot through the covers. Rushworth returned for a second salvo shortly before lunch whilst Potts continued at the Cathedral Road End and was nurdled through the slips by Ingram en route to a half-century from 76 balls reached with another punched drive through the covers. But with the total on 107 Rushworth trapped Northeast l.b.w. before one run later Ben Raine bowled Kiran Carlson.

Afternoon update

Durham had faced one over before lunch, delivered by Michael Hogan with Alex Lees scoring a single and Micahel Jones a boundary through the covers. Ten minutes before the scheduled re-start at 1.50pm, the heavens opened with another hailstorm turning the entire playing area white as Sophia Gardens resembled a scene on a Christmas card. Further rain fell for an hour and a half accompanied by thunder and lightning, with the umpires calling off play for the day at 1530.

Morning update

Durham may have Raine in their team, but it was hail and sleet which caused most problems on the opening day as conditions at a blustery and chilly Sophia Gardens were more akin to something in the Winter Olympics rather than the summer game, with three stoppages during the afternoon session for sleet and hail before an early cessation at 4.45pm. Despite these interruptions, plus a few claps of thunder, an unbeaten 71 by Colin Ingram helped Glamorgan to reach 164-4, with the experienced South African playing assertively and looked set to post his first Championship century since May 2017 when he made 155* against Nottinghamshire at Cardiff and shared in a match-saving partnership with Chris Cooke.

By coincidence, the same pair walked out to the middle this morning, fortunately in more temperate, rather than tundra-like, conditions as Paul Coughlin and Chris Rushworth resumed the bowling. Ingram was quickly into his stride as he off-drove and cover-drove the latter for a pair of rasping fours, before Cooke also drilled Coughlin through the covers. Ingram then straight drove Rushworth for his sixteenth four, but it also proved to his last as next over he edged Coughlin into the hands of David Bedingham at first slip.

188-5 saw Callum Taylor join Cooke with the young tyro opening his account by square-driving Coughlin, with Cooke unfurling a regal cover drive in Rushworth’s next over before Taylor saw Glamorgan to their first point of the season by steering the veteran through the gully for another four. Cooke also off-drove Coughlin for four prior to completing an 85-ball fifty.

Raine and Matthew Potts then entered the attack with the latter trapping Taylor l.b.w. before two balls later doing the same to James Weighell as Glamorgan slipped to 214-7. James Harris became Cooke’s new partner and he began by square-driving Potts for four. But with the total on 223 he edged Raine to Scott Borthwick at second slip. Six runs later Cooke upper cut Coughlin to third man where Liam Tevaskis completed a good diving catch. Michael Hogan swatted a boundary before being bowled by Rushworth as the Welsh county were dismissed shortly before lunch for 234 having lost their last five wickets for 20 runs in 21 overs.

Close of Play Report

Durham had reached 163-2 at tea with Alex Lees unbeaten on 90, with Callum Taylor and James Harris resuming the bowling after the interval. Lees moved closer to three figures by clipping Harris to mid-wicket, whilst Scott Borthwick swept Taylor for four. Lees then completed his hundred from 227 balls by on-driving Taylor for his 14th four. He then greeted the return of James Weighell by pulling him for four as well as again cover-driving Taylor to see Durham to their first batting point having reached the 200-mark.

Borthwick then completed his fifty from 93 balls before pulling Taylor for six. Glamorgan also switched to an all-spin attack as Andrew Salter joined the attack at the Cathedral Road End with Borthwick unfurling another cover drive as his side wiped off the arrears, but with the total on 242 he miscued a drive against Salter and was well caught by Sam Northeast. David Bedingham announced his arrival by cover-driving David Lloyd before Glamorgan took the new ball after 83.2 overs.

Bedingham flicked Hogan to fine-leg and square-leg for a pair of fours before clipping Harris to the ropes at mid-wicket. With Lees content to accumulate in singles, Bedingham continued his assertive cameo by on-driving both Weighell and van der Gugten before reaching his fifty from 66 balls by driving Weighell to mid-off. Lees also reached 150 from 227 balls by on-driving van der Gugten before Bedingham lofted Andrew Salter for six over long-on. Lees also drove van der Gugten for four to wide mid-wicket as Durham’s lead went past the 100-mark.

Afternoon update

Durham resumed after lunch on 88-1 as James Harris and Timm van der Gugten looked to make further inroads and to secure bowling points. Sean Dickson began by on-driving van der Gugten but in the Dutchman’s next over he found the edge of Dickson’s bat with Chris Cooke completing the catch diving to his right.

95-2 heralded the arrival of Scott Borthwick and began by clipping his first ball for four to mid-wicket. Lees square-drove Harris before Borthwick found the ropes again as he off-drove van der Gugten twice in an over before Michael Hogan returned to the fray and was cover-driven by Lees as the England opener continued to frustrate the home attack.

After a probing spell, Harris was replaced by James Weighell who was pulled for four by Borthwick before Lees clipped Hogan to mid-wicket followed by an imperious on-drive for four as Durham continued to chisel away at the deficit. Van der Gugten returned and nearly removed Borthwick who got a leading edge just over the head of Carlson at short extra-cover.

Morning update

So far, 118 overs out of the total of 192 have been lost to the weather in this, the earliest County Championship match ever staged at Sophia Gardens. The first two days have each seen violent hailstorms, accompanied by thunder and lightning, with Glamorgan losing their last five wickets in 21 overs before lunch yesterday as they were dismissed for 234, with Durham’s openers surviving the solitary over before the arrival of the white stuff.

Michael Jones and Alex Lees resumed the batting this morning, with the latter’s previous first-class innings also taking place at a ground which had a River End. However, here the similarities between Sophia Gardens and Queens’ Park, Grenada ended as the temperatures three weeks ago were around 30 degrees warmer for England’s Test against the West Indies! Indeed, the air temperature was still low enough in Cardiff for a pile of hailstones and ice pellets from yesterday’s storm to remain just beyond the boundary rope, but the overhead conditions appeared to be less volatile than on previous days as James Harris and Michael Hogan resumed the bowling duties.

Nevertheless, Lees cover drove Harris for four before surviving a loud appeal for l.b.w. as he shouldered arms to Hogan. Next over, he celebrated his good fortune by on-driving Hogan to the boards at mid-wicket before a few overs later glancing him to fine-leg for four before on-driving the evergreen seamer for another four. Timm van der Gugten and James Weighell then entered the attack and with the total on 37, the former clean bowled Jones as Sean Dickson made his way to the middle.

The new batter began with a pair of flowing off drives against the Dutchman as Durham reached the 50-mark after 20 overs. Lees then greeted the introduction of David Lloyd into the attack by flicking his first delivery to the ropes at fine-leg. Hogan also returned for a second spell at the Cathedral Road End shortly before lunch with Lees straight-driving Lloyd for four prior to completing his fifty from 99 balls.

Close of Play Report

There were still 41 overs remaining when play began after tea with Glamorgan on 136-4. Both Chris Cooke and Kiran Carlson were in sight of their half-centuries having added 70 in 21 overs before the interval to thwart Durham’s hopes of victory. Paul Coughlin and Matthew Potts resumed the bowling with the former nearly removing Cooke but a diving Ned Eckersley could grasp the ball as the batter attempted a leg-glance. Carlson completed his fifty from 100 balls by off-driving Coughlin before late cutting him for another boundary as the arrears were wiped off.

But their doughty stand ended in the 50th over as Carlson edged another cut stroke, this time against Potts, and was caught by wicket-keeper Ned Eckersley. Callum Taylor joined Cooke and opened his account with a flowing off-drive against Potts. Cooke then completed his fifty from 90 balls by pulling Potts for four before slapping Rushworth through the covers for another boundary.

Scott Borthwick had a spell at the River End in an attempt to break the stubborn stand whilst Ben Raine also returned, but Cooke cut him for four whilst Taylor hooked him for four. Cooke also pulled a long hop from Borthwick for four whilst Liam Trevaskis’ left-arm spin was also introduced as conditions became quite overcast. But Cooke and Taylor remained resolute and with sixteen overs remaining the players shook hands as the game ended in a draw.

Afternoon Report

Glamorgan resumed the post-lunch session on 34-3 with a minimum of 70 overs still remaining in the contest, with both Colin Ingram and Kiran Carlson cover-driving Ben Raine for four. Carlson also cover-drove Paul Coughlin before flicking Raine to the ropes at square-leg. But with the total on 66, Raine bowled Ingram as Chris Cooke became Carlson’s next partner. He began by greeting the return of Chris Rushworth with a pair of sumptuous cover drives off the back foot prior to cutting Matthew Potts behind square.

Liam Trevaskis entered the attack in the 31st over at the River End, no doubt eager to emulate Salter’s efforts in the first hour. Matthew Potts also returned at the Cathedral Road End and was cover-driven by Carlson, who also pulled Potts for four. Rushworth and Raine then returned with Cooke pulling the latter for six followed by a deft flick to fine-leg for four.

Morning Update

Durham began the final day of the game leading by 114 runs and, with batting points still available, they were eager to continue batting for a few more overs before declaring and looking to bowl out Glamorgan for a second time on what had seemingly become a benign surface. Michael Hogan and Andrew Salter resumed the bowling, with the latter removing David Bedingham with his fourth delivery as Chris Cooke whipped off the bails as the batter over balanced playing forward to the off-spinner.

351-4 saw the arrival of Ned Eckersley who began by drilling Salter through the covers for four. Lees also nurdled Hogan to third man before Eckersley lofted Salter to long-on. Two balls later, Paul Coughlin tamely chipped Salter to mid-off where James Harris claimed the catch before Ben Raine followed suit two balls as he spooned a catch to Northeast at short extra-cover, giving Salter his first “five-for” in Championship cricket and a triple wicket maiden. Three overs later he bowled Matthew Potts to claim his 100th first-class wicket for Glamorgan whilst James Harris had Liam Trevaskis caught behind by Chris Cooke,

Fittingly, Salter ended the innings as he claimed his seventh wicket as Chris Rushworth holed out at long off with Alex Lees carrying his bat for a career-best 182*. Salter was quickly back in action as he opened the batting with David Lloyd with Glamorgan having a minimum of 84 overs to face. However, they lost David Lloyd to the fifth delivery of the innings as Rushworth re-arranged his stumps. 0-1 nearly became 0-2 as Ingram edged his first ball to third slip where Paul Coughlin spilled the catch.

Ingram then nurdled Rushworth to third man for four before Salter repeated the stroke but with the total on 21 Salter edged Rushworth to second slip where Scott Borthwick completed a good catch diving low to his left. Sam Northeast joined Ingram but with the total on 28 he was trapped l.b.w. by Paul Coughlin.