Daniel Bell-Drummond top-scored with 42 in a day dominated by bowlers, despite the much-disliked Kookaburra ball as 14 wickets fell on day one. Kent fell to 155 all out from 148 for 3 with Joe Denly retiring hurt, pulling a muscle playing a shot during his innings.

Timm van der Gugten and James Harris provided rewards for Glamorgan with 3 for 27 and 3 for 35 respectively with the older ball before Wes Agar demonstrated demolishing use of the new ball to rip into the hosts’ top order with 3 for 29, restricting Glamorgan to 125 for 4.

Despite the often favoured position to keep the opposition in the field for as long as possible during rounds using the Kookaburra ball, Glamorgan opted to field first under overcast skies.

Ben Compton and Jadyn Denly dealt nearly exclusively in boundaries for their 37 before Fernando struck – the division’s top run-scorer, Ben Compton, caught behind – a first wicket on the Sri Lankan’s return to Glamorgan for a second spell this season.

Starts and falling cheaply continued to be the frustration for Kent. Denly dispatched loose Harris deliveries on his introduction into the attack before slapping another to cover.

The positive start continued with an effectively 61-run third-wicket partnership (via the injury of Joe Denly). The all-action all-rounder Ben Kellaway found a way through Chris Benjamin, adjudged lbw.

From 111 for 2 at lunch and Bell-Drummond reaching 24 in minimal time thanks to four consecutive boundaries off Ned Leonard, the approach was forced to change by Kent with the hosts tightening their bowling.

Glamorgan’s resurrected efforts with the ball started the monumental collapse with Joey Evison unable to find comfort in the period of conservative batting, flashing at a wide delivery to give van der Gugten his first wicket of a six over spell, conceding just two runs.

It wasn’t long later, Kent were getting their whites on to take the field. Bell-Drummond next to be adjudged lbw off an in-swinger from Harris. Two in two balls came for van der Gugten, before Zain Ul Hassan and James Harris finished the job to leave the number eight Stewart stranded, Joe Denly unable to return.

With an opportunity in the 42-over final session to close in on a lead before the end of day one, Glamorgan quickly learnt that the task to overtake 155 wasn’t as easy as first thought.

Asa Tribe looked troubled from the off before he inevitably chopped on to get Kent underway through Agar. Ul Hassan was more dogged in his approach, as has been method for the originally makeshift, now first-choice opener for Glamorgan who stuck around to see dismissals of Carlson and Root before perishing himself.

Carlson appeared to be on a hangover from the Vitality Blast, intensely running and latching upon boundaries for his 27 before loosely driving to his downfall, caught behind. Billy Root in for a seasonal debut, never settled.

On the day 40-year-old Colin Ingram was announced to have a first coaching role, the veteran was still showcasing his playing abilities, taking a four and six from the same Evison over. The South African and Kellaway remained unscathed despite periods of concern and grit, including Ingram dropped on 27 late in the day, closing out the long session with a much-needed unbeaten partnership worth 47.

Ben Kellaway and Colin Ingram combined to give Glamorgan an ascending position on day two before Kent frustrated the bowlers in the beginning of their second innings.

Kellaway, who struck a mammoth 181 not out maiden century in the reverse fixture, gave fears of déjà vu with 90, together with Ingram’s 87 to combine for a 174-run partnership resuming from overnight.

Glamorgan finished on 327, damage limited by Matt Parkinson taking 4 for 103 to grind his way through the Glamorgan lower order after Wes Agar claimed four wickets to handle the top order on day one.

Ben Compton led in the visitors’ controlled reply of 106 for 1. The opener closed in on 1,000 runs for the season – needing a further 33 to pass the milestone in a race to be the first to do so this season.

Ingram and Kellaway continued to rebuild from their 47-run partnership yesterday as Glamorgan sat in the ambiguous position of 125 for 4 after rolling Kent for 155 on day one.

The engine room of Glamorgan’s leading run-scoring pair tormented the rotating Kent bowlers with the aging Kookaburra ball. If the partnership was able to build overnight after a period of bowlers dominating, with the day starting 42 overs in Glamorgan’s innings, the lack of movement created an opportunity to set up an unassailable lead.

A life early in the day when a top edged slog sweep landed in no-man’s-land from Kellaway was the only moment until lunch where Kent thought they had a glimmer of hope. The fifties came, as did the century partnership with hardly any notice.

The wicketless session looked inevitable until Ingram was disappointed when given out caught at slip, questioning a bump ball at 12.59pm to give Kent something to be able to enjoy their lunch at 250 for 5.

Almost as if Kellaway was lost at the crease without his 40-year-old newly appointed white-ball assistant coach, uncertain shots began to creep in before being drawn into the flighted ball to drive directly to cover in the start of Parkinson’s terrorising the lower-middle order.

Ned Leonard added a flurry with two straight sixes on Glamorgan’s way past a second batting point to be the only difference from the two sides’ tails. The 25 from the number ten recovering the hosts after losing four wickets for 24 prior to the 45-run coming together with a stubborn Chris Cooke for the ninth wicket.

As they did in the first innings, Jadyn Denly and Compton looked unphased against the new ball. Asitha Fernando and Timm van der Gugten unable to find their line before the latter walked off mid-over through injury.

Kellaway added control as the only frontline spinner in the side - Mason Crane was sent to play in the seconds, where he took 11 wickets in the match, a decision Glamorgan could come to rue.

James Harris found some reverse swing after tea and enjoyed a threatening spell against the left-handers which ended in only economical rewards. The unseen reward for Harris in the wickets column may just have been what brought Kellaway’s however; Denly playing out of frustration after a positive start, top-edging a slog sweep.

The newly formed pair had no concerns in closing down the deficit and leading momentum through to day three.

Harry Finch’s 68 and Grant Stewart’s counter-attacking 63 dragged Kent back into the contest after a first innings collapse hindered their chances against Glamorgan. Partnerships of 84 and 68 for the fifth and sixth wicket, respectively took the visitors to 360 – without full use of injured Joe Denly to enforce a nervous task of chasing 189 after first innings dominance from the hosts.

Kent bowlers were in high spirits, taking two wickets in an aggressive spell of 14 overs continuing their day in the driving seat to leave the Welsh county 25 for 2, requiring 164 from the final day. Chris Cooke and Timm van der Gugten’s batting capabilities remain uncertain after both being off the field for the entire day.

From 106 for 1 overnight and beginning a fightback to the Glamorgan first innings dominance, Ben Compton and Chris Benjamin started conservatively in the knowledge that they’d need to bat all day to produce a competitive day four.

Trying to be cute with a paddle-sweep by way of releasing the shackles from 10 off 43 inside the first hour, Compton fell, gifting a wicket to the otherwise forceless Glamorgan. Compton falling short of a half-century (and his 1000-run season milestone) foreshadowed the remainder of the top order.

Daniel Bell-Drummond found a start in similar fashion to the morning tempo before falling, resenting the umpire’s decision of caught behind attempting to hook a bouncer that ballooned to sub-keeper Alex Horton. The second dismissal of the morning allowed Joey Evison to dismiss a Ben Kellaway loosener to give Kent the lead at 175 for 3.

The theme of Kent losing their wickets rather than Glamorgan taking the wickets by force continued. Benjamin dragged on a wide half-volley before Evison chipped a standard, probing Zain Ul Hassan delivery of medium-pace to short-cover – the third batter to fall in the forties. Glamorgan’s usual fifth seamer stepping up as the pick of the bowlers in van der Gugten’s absence while eighth bowler Kiran Carlson claimed 3 for 24 after his introduction in the 105^th over.

After a much-needed partnership from Evison and Finch before the all-rounder’s untimely dismissal on 49, Finch, together with the newfound aggression of Stewart kept the momentum going against the ungiving Kookaburra ball with stand-in captain Carlson having numerous exchanges about changing the ball throughout the day.

The pair’s half-centuries, making the most of the life given to Stewart on one where he was dropped at slip by Carlson off Kellaway, gave the visitors a fighting chance until further soft dismissals brought a premature end to the innings; Matt’s Parkinson and Quinn both recording pairs succeeding Stewart bringing up a half-century with three consecutive sixes off Carlson who had been proving to be Glamorgan’s golden arm.

The seemingly flat pitch showed some life in the gloomy evening conditions, both Carlson and nightwatcher James Harris took the brunt of Wes Agar giving his all after both openers were dismissed.

Kent’s winless run in the Rothesay County Championship continued for an eighth match after setting just 189 on a sun-beaten day four in Cardiff.  The visitors remain bottom of Division Two with their last win coming in April while Glamorgan head to second ahead of Derbyshire.

Carlson eliminated any concerns of defeat from 25 for 2 with an unnerved 89 not out, negating the endless spell from Matt Parkinson who claimed 4 for 82.

Nerves would’ve been in both dressing rooms after Kent dominated day three albeit to only give themselves half-a-chance. Glamorgan had a full day to find 164 with eight wickets in hand in sunny conditions with a Kookaburra ball that would age.

Glamorgan’s openers faltering on the previous evening under dim light and a brutal spell from Wes Agar left the captain and nightwatcher James Harris to resume the innings.

The importance of a drop at slip from Daniel Bell-Drummond with Carlson reverse-sweeping on nine could’ve been a turning point as the Welshman took full advantage of a life.

Harris wasn’t as fortunate with his edge to slip to bring Billy Root to the crease. The left-hander playing in his first game this season showed innovation against the vast turn from Parkinson’s leg-spin, looking to sweep or defend as his only options – including getting off the mark first ball with a reverse-sweep for a single.

While his brother was passing Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid in Test folklore at Old Trafford, Root was playing a vital role in taking Glamorgan to potential promotion with 30 from 31 balls in a 68-run partnership; a potentially key innings for his Glamorgan future from a precarious position.

Carlson took a leaf out of Root’s book as the certainty of victory increased, reversing and hard sweeping to go with his typically elegant open-faced guides and backfoot punches to accumulate with ease.

Root’s dismissal brought about another potential twist in the tail – 81 still needed when Colin Ingram strode out.

As Ingram does, Glamorgan’s leading run scorer demonstrated his status with a fearless attack onto the bowlers to set up just 20 runs needed after lunch thanks to second half-century stand of the session. The South African was unable to see home the win with his captain after being dismissed first ball of the afternoon but eye-catching 21-year-old Ben Kellaway at number seven left no concern for the Welsh County to get to victory.