Close of Play Report

Worcestershire were five runs away from their first batting point when play resumed after tea with van der Gugten and Patel striving for further wickets and bowling points for the Welsh county. Roderick swept Patel for four to bring up the 200 before twice on-driving van der Gugten as he reached 50 from 137 balls. Roderick then square-drove Patel for four as the Kiwi bowled a rare loose delivery with Kiran Carlson also having a brief trundle at the River End ahead of the new ball being taken.

Barnard cover-drove Patel for four but a couple of overs later he departed l.b.w. to the spinner as Worcestershire lost their fifth wicket on 241. Brett d’Oliveira joined Roderick as Hogan and Harris returned to the fray and armed with the new ball. The visiting captain saw his side to another batting point but, with the total on 255,Harris had an l.b.w. appeal upheld against d’Oliveira.

255-6 then became 256-7 as Hogan bowled Ben Cox. Having been joined by Joe Leach, Roderick clipped Harris for four to square-leg before his new partner also on-drove as well as cover-driving Harris for further boundaries.

Afternoon update

With Worcestershire having reached 88/3 at lunch. Timm van der Gugten and James Harris resumed the bowling duties with Ed Pollock flicking the latter to fine-leg for four before Gareth Roderick repeated the stroke later in the over as well as Harris’ next over. Pollock then completed his fifty from 100 balls by driving van der Gugten for two through extra-cover.

But with the total on 114, van der Gugten made further inroads into the visitor’s batting as he found the edge of Pollock’s bat with Chris Cooke safely pouching the e ball as he dived to his left in front of the slip cordon. Ed Barnard joined Roderick and began with a cover driven four against Harris before Ajaz Patel returned to the attack.
Hogan also had another foray at the River End and was on-driven by Roderick for four.

Barnard also drove Patel for four before clipping Hogan to wide long-on and deep mid-wicket. Roderick also drove Lloyd through mid-on when the home skipper had his second salvo whilst Patel found the edge of Barnard’s bat with the ball scuttling away to the vacant ropes at third man. His next pair of fours each had more certainty as he square-drove Lloyd in front and behind point. He then cover-drove Patel for four before flicking the left-arm spinner to fine-leg to complete a 58-ball fifty.

Lunchtime Update

Glamorgan’s remarkable innings victory at Grace Road during the record-breaking contest against Leicestershire on 23 July has parachuted the Welsh county up the Division Two table, with David Lloyd’s team starting this match in third place, just five points behind second-place Middlesex, and having a game in hand over the North London club who they also meet next week at Lord’s.

Glamorgan made three changes to their team from the one which defeated Leicestershire with new overseas signings Shubman Gill and Ajaz Patel replacing Colin Ingram and Michael Neser, whilst Timm van der Gugten returned in place of Andrew Salter with the Dutchman in his first Championship appearance since mid-May at Chester-le-Street.

After Sam Northeast had been presented with his county cap, James Harris shared the new ball with Michael Hogan after the visitors opted to bat first with Jake Libby on-driving Hogan to the ropes at mid-wicket before cover-driving Harris. But the latter made amends with the final ball of his third over as he trapped Libby l.b.w.

16-1 saw the arrival of Taylor Cornall who began by square-driving Harris before edging low to third slip where Shubman could not quite grasp the ball. Cornall then flicked Hogan to fine-leg for four before Ed Pollock cover-drove Harris. He then greeted the introduction of van der Gugten into the attack by lofting him for six over mid-wicket before Cornall also off-drove the Dutchman for four.

Pollock also flicked Lloyd to the square-leg ropes when the home captain had a trundle at the Cathedral Road End but with the total on 55, Cornall shouldered arms to van der Gugten and was bowled as Jack Haynes became Pollock’s new partner. He began by nonchalantly flicking Lloyd for four to square-leg but with the total on 69 he also departed l.b.w. to a full-length delivery from van der Gugten.

With Gareth Roderick at the other end, Pollock square-cut Lloyd for four before Patel entered the attack after 23 overs with Hogan also having a second salvo at the River End.

Evening update

When play resumed after tea, Glamorgan were looking to build on the breezy start made by Eddie Byrom who had struck six fours and a six in his unbeaten 40 with his side on 60-1. But after one over, further rain fell as the players left the field as a further 55 minutes play was lost plus 14 overs. Byrom resumed by cover-driving Leach before Shubman Gill unleashed a booming straight-drive for four against Pennington.

Byrom completed his fifty by nurdling Leach for four - his 51st delivery – but after 25 minutes another heavy shower descended and sent the players and umpires scurrying to the sanctuary of the Pavilion. Play resumed at 1750 with ten overs remaining as Byrom flicked Pennington to square-leg for a pair of fours before Gill pulled Ed Barnard for six into the Grandstand.

But after the 100 had come up in the 22nd over, Gibbon returned to the attack and found the edge of Byrom’s bat as Ben Cox completed a regulation catch. Timm van der Gugten came in as night-watchman as Gill struck another sublime four in the final over.

Afternoon update

Worcestershire began the afternoon session on 372-7 with David Lloyd and Michael Hogan resuming the bowling duties with the former being punched through extra-cover in successive deliveries by Joe Leach whose efforts for the eighth wicket with Gareth Roderick had already beaten the Pears’ best for that wicket against the Welsh county set in 1982 at New Road where Richard Illingworth and John Inchmore had added 101.

Roderick added further to his tally by clipping Lloyd to the ropes at mid-wicket before Leach swept Kiran Carlson for four. But Harris returned and with the total on 423, he ended the stand as Leach swatted him high to Billy Root at deep mid-wicket, thereby ending the stand which had added 167 in 47.2 overs.

Dillon Pennington joined Roderick and cover-drove van der Gugten for four, before edging Harris for four. Roderick then opened his shoulders to pull Harris for four before Pennington edged van der Gugten into Cooke’s gloves. Bern Gibbon joined Roderick who pulled van der Gugten for four to reach his highest-ever first-class score, whereupon Worcestershire declared with 50 overs remaining in the day’s quota.

Leach shared the new ball with Gibbon and was straight-driven for four by Eddie Byrom who then flicked the next ball over the head of the mid-wicket fielder for four as well as later in the over, clipping him in the same direction for six. But with the total on 21, David Lloyd edged Gibbon to second slip where Jack Haynes completed a waist-high catch.

Having been joined by Shubman Gill, Byrom flicked Gibbon to fine-leg before square-driving Pennington for a couple of fours. He then unfurled a coruscating drive through backward point against Gibbon before Gill cover-drove the left-armer for successive fours.

Morning update

The return to Championship cricket this week follows the completion of The Hundred which, over the weekend, became the first-ever limited-overs tournament in the UK not to suffer the loss of playing time in any of the competition’s matches. However, during the past 72 hours or so, the atmospheric systems have changed and low pressure systems are now set to replace the cells of high pressure which have brought heatwaves and drought to much of the UK for the past few months.

Glamorgan’s cricketers will be hoping that the series of rain-bearing fronts which are being forecast by the meteorologists for the coming days do not, quite literally, dampen their promotion aspirations, especially after a decent opening day’s play where their seamers, spearheaded by Timm van der Gugten who took 3/12 in 54 balls, helped to restrict Worcestershire to 285-7 after the visitors opted to bat first. Their plight might have been worse had Gareth Roderick and Ed Barnard not shared a fifth wicket stand of 127 in 40.4 overs as they prospered during the afternoon as the ball got softer after a probing opening salvo from the home bowlers, who extracted both seam and swing from the conditions, as epitomised by the dismissal of Taylor Cornall who shouldered arms to van der Gugten and found his stumps re-arranged.

A short shower delayed the start until 1045, with no overs being lost, and Worcestershire on 285-7 with Roderick a dozen runs away from his first century for the Pears. However, it was Joe Leach who struck the day’s first four as he pulled Hogan to the ropes at square-leg before edging the veteran through the slips. But next over another heavy shower descended over the ground and forced the players off the field for a further fifteen minutes. When play resumed Leach steered Hogan square of the wicket for successive fours as Worcestershire reached 300 and secured another batting point.

Roderick then off-drove van der Gugten before another yet another short break for rain and leading to the loss of two overs. Roderick completed his hundred by clipping the Dutchman to fine-leg for four – his 237th delivery – before greeting the return of James Harris by cover-driving him for another boundary. Leach then clipped van der Gugten to fine-leg for four.

Ajaz Patekl returned to the attack as Worcestershire reached 342-7 at the end of the 110th over and the provision of bonus points. Leach late-cut the spinner for four before sweeping him for another boundary as he completed his fifty from 83 balls. Roderick brought up the century stand by straight-driving Harris with Leach then clipping him later in the over through mid-wicket. Roderick then swept Patel for four before Kiran Carlson had a brief trundle before lunch.

Evening Update

Play resumed at 1600 with Glamorgan on 172-5 and it soon became 176 as Shubman Gill elegantly cover-drove Ben Gibbon. Billy Root also steered Dillon Pennington through backward point for four, but with the total on 189 Root departed l.b.w. to Gibbon.

Having been joined by Chris Cooke, Gill continued to unfurl some sublime strokes, with a pair of laconic on-drives as well as a deft late-cut against Gibbon as the 200 came up in the 60th over together with a batting point. Cooke added a couple of boundaries by leg-glancing Leach but Ed Barnard returned and trapped Gill leg before with the total on 230/7.

James Harris made his way to the middle and faced a couple of balls before the light deteriorated. A further ten overs were lost as play resumed at 1755 with Harris edging Barnard for four. Cooke also worked the ball around, especially on the leg-side but in the final over of the day, Harris was bowled by Pennington

Afternoon update

Rain continued to fall after lunch, and after taking tea at 1500 and in inspection afterwards, play resumed at 1600 with 36 overs remaining.

Morning update

Glamorgan had reached 111-2 by the end of a rain-affected second day with Shubman Gill unfurling a series of high-class shots off the front foot in the closing overs last night, including a silky-smooth cover drive to the final delivery last night, whetting the appetite of Glamorgan supporters for further sublime strokeplay on a day when 104 overs are scheduled with the addition of eight from yesterday’s allocation.

Gill duly unleashed a powerful on-drive against Joe Leach, before Timm van der Gugten, the night-watchman, flicked the bowler to the boards at square-leg. The Dutchman then on-drove Ben Gibbon for four but in Leach’s next over he feathered a delivery into Ben Cox’s gloves. 132-3 saw Worcestershire secure their first bowling point and the arrival of the newly-capped Sam Northeast who a fortnight ago at New Road scored an unbeaten 177 against the Worcester attack.

He opened his account by clipping Leach to fine-leg before deftly guiding Ed Barnard through backward point. But Dillon Pennington removed him for 10 – exactly 400 less than his previous innings in the Championship - as he bowled Northeast with a delivery that nipped back in and struck off stump.146/4 immediately became 146/5 as next ball Kiran Carlson edged into the hands of Ed Pollock at first slip, with Billy Root surviving the hat-trick ball as he shouldered arms to the bustling seam bowler.

Gill then completed his fifty by on-driving Pennington for four – his 87th delivery – with Root also inside-edging a delivery from Gibbon to fine-leg. The drizzle which had been falling then intensified and the players left the field at 12.15pm. 

Close of Play Report

Torrential rain fell over the ground during the lunch interval and the umpires called off play at 1345.

Morning update

Glamorgan began the final day on 241-8 having lost James Harris to the final ball last night so it was Ajaz Patel who joined Chris Cooke this morning when, despite the overnight deluge, play began on time at 1030. Worcestershire opted for spin with Brett d’Oliveira and Jake Libby bowling in tandem until the new ball was taken after 80 overs. Having cover-driven Libby for four, Cooke off-drove Ben Gibbon when the seamer returned to the attack, but later in the over the left-armer found the edge of Patel’s bat and Ben Cox completed a tumbling catch.

With 36 runs still needed to avoid the follow-on, and 32 for another batting point, Michael Hogan joined Cooke and unfurled some rustic swipes before Cooke punched Dillon Pennington through backward point for four. Hogan then lofted Gibbon for a straight six before Cooke completed his fifty from 96 balls by swatting Gibbon through extra-cover for four. But next over Hogan was well caught by Jack Haynes at cover as Pennington claimed his fourth wicket with Glamorgan all out for 295.

D'Oliveira enforced the follow-on – the first time since 2013 at New Road that a Worcestershire captain had done so in a game involving Glamorgan – with David Lloyd and Eddie Byrom opening the batting, but after nine balls, it started to rain and the players scurried towards the Pavilion.