Glamorgan have slumped to 71-6 in their second innings against Essex at the end of the second day of their LV=Insurance County Championship match at Sophia Gardens after the visitors secured a healthy lead on first innings of 186 runs.
Evening Report
With Dan Lawrence returning to the England camp, Paul Walter became a full replacement for the batsman as Glamorgan faced a deficit of 186. They duly made a poor start as Hamish Rutherford departed l.b.w. to the second ball of the innings from Jamie Porter before David Lloyd departed in identical fashion to Sam Cook’s seventh delivery. Billy Root square-cut Cook for four but next over he attempted a quick single only for his partner Steve Reingold to be run out at the striker’s end as Shane Snater made a direct hit at point.
8-3 saw the newly capped Kiran Carlson arrive in the middle with plenty of restorative work to be done and he began with a fluent cover drive against Cook. But Glmaorgan’s plight worsened as next over Porter struck again as Root became the third man to depart leg before with Chris Cooke making his way out from the pavilion with his team on 16-4. He also began with a cover drive before Carlson survived a sharp chance at second slip. But it did not prove to be an expensive miss as two balls later he was bowled by the jubilant Cook.
Cooke then square-drove both Porter and Cook for fours but Snater came on and had an l.b.w. appeal upheld to his third delivery as Dan Douthwaite departed for a single. 29-6 saw Andrew Salter join his captain with Simon Harmer also joining the attack at the Cathedral Road End as the light got murky. Cooke again nurdled Snater for four before driving him through the covers for another boundary to take his team past their lowest total against Essex in first-class cricket - 43 at Neath in 1935 – before Salter cover drove Harmer for four followed by a clip to square-leg against Snater.
Cooke then reverse-swept Harmer for four as the light continued to deteriorate with Tom Westley’s off-spin being employed rather than the seamers, but after another couple of overs, it became darker and the players left the field with Glamorgan on 71-6.
Afternoon Update
The clatter of two wickets in as many overs before the interval meant that Essex began the post-lunch session on 215-5 and a lead of 81 runs with Glamorgan looking to make further inroads after Browne’s departure in Steve Reingold’s first over in first-class cricket. The new ball was six overs away so the off-spinner continued in tandem with Dan Douthwaite and with his third ball he removed Pepper as the debutant made a spectacular catch diving full length and low to his left.
Adam Wheater was joined by Simon Harmer with the former being bowled by a no ball from Douthwaite before cover-driving the all-rounder later in the over, followed by a pull to a long-hop next over. Reingold’s remarkable spell continued as next over he had Harmer caught behind by Chris Cooke as Essex’s stutter continued to 233-7.
But a riposte then began as Wheater cover drive Douthwaite twice in an over before Snater brought up the 250 and a bonus point with a straight six against Reingold. Andrew Salter also returned to the fray as Glamorgan opted against taking the new ball until the 85th over with Michael Hogan and Timm van der Gugten operating in tandem. Snater straight drove and cover drove his fellow Dutchman, before clipping him to fine-leg, whilst Wheater straight drove Hogan for four before inside-edging van der Gugten to long-leg.
Wheater also straight drove Hogan as the ball cannoned off the stumps for four after taking a deflection from Hogan in his follow through with Snater surviving the appeal for run out. The latter then drove van der Gugten for four to long-on as another batting point was secured in the 95th over, before Wheater greeted the return of Carey by cover-driving him. But next over, Carey re-arranged his stumps as the eighth wicket stand ended on 312 and eight runs later, the seamer claimed another victim as Sam Cook departed l.b.w. Next over Snater holed out at long-off against Salter as Essex ended with a lead of 186 runs
Lunchtime Update
Dubbed by the marketeers as "Super September" the closing batch of divisional games began yesterday at Cardiff and with seven of the twelve wickets tumbling on the opening day being taken by Dutch internationals, perhaps the strapline should have been “Geweldig Augustus”, or Amazing August. After Glamorgan had batted first, the Essex attack showed why they have been such a potent force in Championship cricket for the past few years with Shane Snater grabbing the headlines with 6/39 including a spell of 4/4 in 28 balls, before Timm van der Gugten and Lukas Carey added one apiece for Glamorgan before bad light hastened an early finish.
The visitors were just 42 runs in arrears with eight wickets in hand when play resumed, still under a heavy cloud cover with 98 overs in the daily quota and looking this morning to further consolidate on their decent position as Glamorgan’s bowlers looked to counter-attack and thwart Essex’s effort to build a sizeable lead. Michael Hogan and Andrew Salter resumed the bowling duties with Dan Lawrence clipping Hogan through mid-wicket for four. But with the total on 100, Salter’s guile and flight proved to be his undoing as he miscued a drive to Timm van der Gugten at mid-off.
Michael Pepper sparred at his first deliveries from Hogan before Browne flicked the veteran seamer to the ropes at square-leg. With Salter continuing his frugal spell at the Cathedral Road End, van der Gugten replaced Hogan at the River End, before Salter yielded his first boundary in his 13th over as Pepper swept him to backward square-leg before later in the over lofting him over long-off for six. He then turned his attention to the Dutchman as he nurdled him to the vacant third man boundary before twice dispatching him through the covers as the arrears were written off.
Browne then pulled Salter for four before, on 67, being dropped at slip as he edged van der Gugten. He celebrated his good fortune by clipping the next ball to the ropes at square-leg before Pepper drove Salter, as well as Lukas Carey, through the covers for another firmly struck four. Browne also dabbed Carey through point for four before flicking him to the ropes at fine-leg. The flurry of fours continued as Pepper drilled Salter through the covers before Dan Douthwaite replaced him shortly before lunch and was on-driven by Browne who then drove the next delivery through extra-cover for another boundary.
Pepper then cover-drove Douthwaite en route to completing a 75-ball fifty before later in the over Browne reached his hundred from 219 balls and brought up the 200 by driving the all-rounder to long-off. But next over he swept Reingold's sixth delivery straight to Douthwaite at deep backward square-leg before Josh Rymell departed l.b.w. in Douthwaite's next over.