GLAMORGAN v WORCESTERSHIRE

Close of Play Report

Glamorgan had reached 92-2 at tea with Marnus Labuschagne and Sam Northeast poised to take the Welsh county into the lead. Matthew Waite and Josh Tongue resumed the bowling duties, and in the fifth over Waite jagged a ball back into Labuschagne which bowled the Australian for 42. Having been joined by Kiran Carlson, Northeast brought up the hundred before his new partner flicked Tongue to square-leg for four.

The pair took Glamorgan into the lead, with the total on 111, Adam Finch returned to the attack and had an l.b.w. appeal upheld against Northeast as Billy Root made his way to the middle. Carlson square-cut Leach for four but next over he departed l.b.w. to Finch. The bowler struck again two runs later as he bowled Chris Cooke as the visitor’s continued to chisel away at the Glamorgan line-up with the home side continuing their post-tea slump to 120-6.
Having been joined by Neser, Billy Root cover drove Finch as well as Leach, besides guiding Leach to third man to four. Neser then clipped Tongue to square-leg for four before drilling Tongue through mid-off for four to bring uop the 50-stand as the seventh wicket pair continued to watchfully extend the Welsh county’s lead.

Afternoon Update

Worcestershire were 66-6 when play resumed after lunch with Gareth Roderick and Matthew Waite mounting a recovery mission having come together in the 17th over with the score on 36-6. But Michael Neser ended their stand with the fourth ball of the session as he re-arranged Waite’s stumps with Joe Leach replacing him. He began by cover-driving the Australian before Roderick clipped him to the ropes at mid-wicket, followed by an on-driven three as the hundred came up in the 37th over.

But six runs later, James Harris - as in his opening salvo - claimed a wicket in his first over as Leach was caught down the leg-side by Chris Cooke. Three runs later Harris struck again as Roderick edged to Labuschagne at second slip before Adam Finch departed l.b.w. to his first delivery as Worcestershire were dismissed for 109.

There were 53 overs remaining as Glamorgan began their first innings with David Lloyd and Eddie Byrom facing the new ball duo of Leach and Tongue. The latter was on-driven for four by Lloyd who then had a life as Jack Haynes at second slip spilled an edge. But later in the over, Byrom edged Leach into Roderick’s gloves as Marnus Labuschagne made his way to the middle and began with a trio of boundaries through the covers and mid-off.

Lloyd greeted the introduction of Finch into the attack by on-driving him for three fours, through mid-on and mid-wicket. He also on-drove Matthew Waite before Labuschagne on-drove him for another boundary as the fifty came up. Lloyd then caressed Waite through the covers for a pair of fours, before Labuschagne again on-drove Finch for four. The flurry of boundaries saw the return of Leach at the River End but Lloyd drilled him through mid-on before Labuschagne off-drove Finch and steered Leach through point for four. After Labuschagne had flicked Tongue to fine-leg, but with the total on 88, Lloyd inside-edged a drive against Leach onto his stumps.

Morning update

Two months after the investiture of HRH Prince Charles as the Prince of Wales at Carnarvon Castle on 1 July 1969, the Worcestershire team visited Cardiff and were defeated by Tony Lewis’ buoyant team as the Welsh county clinched the Championship title for the second time in their gallant history. Fifty-four years later, and five days after the Coronation of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey, the West Midlands side are playing again at Sophia Gardens.

Glamorgan made one change to their line-up with Eddie Byrom having recovered from a back spasm replacing Andrew Salter from the team which drew against Yorkshire. Michael Neser and Timm van der Gugten opened the bowling as Taylor Cornall and Ed Pollock began Worcestershire’s innings. Both openers survived loud appeals for l.b.w. before Pollock cover drove van der Gugten, but later in the over, Cornall was trapped leg before.

12-1 saw the arrival of Azhar Ali with the Pakistani driving Neser for three but he soon lost his partner as Pollock edged to Lloyd at first slip.22-2 almost immediately became 22-3 as, to his second ball, Jack Haynes edged to Sam Northeast at third ship who completed a juggling catch. Two runs later, another spectacular catch was made as Azhar edged van der Gugten low to second slip where Marnus Labuschagne completed a one-handed ankle-high catch low to his left.

The procession of batters back to the pavilion continued as two balls later 24-4 became 25-5 as Brett d`Oliveira departed l.b.w. Gareth Roderick then on-drove Neser for four but James Harris then replaced Neser at the Cathedral Road End and with his first delivery he bowled Adam Hose. A couple of overs later he had a loud appeal for l.b.w. turned down against Matthew Waite.

Roderick also drove Harris through mid-wicket before Waite twice clubbed Jamie McIlroy through extra-cover as Worcestershire reached the 50-mark in the 24th over.

Close of Play Report

Worcestershire were still 26 runs in arrears with just four wickets remaining when play resumed after tea with Matthew Waite and Gareth Roderick facing James Harris and Jamie McIlroy. Waite cover drove Harris for four before he scampered with his partner a series of one’s and two’s against the two seamers. The sequence ended as Waite pulled a rare short ball from McIlroy for four before four byes wiped off the arrears with Waite also being struck on the chin by a short ball from Harris and needing medical attention

Neser and van der Gugten then returned with Waite cover-driving both bowlers to show that the blow had not had had an adverse effect. Roderick also drove van der Gugten through extra-cover for four before Labuschagne had a trundle and ended the stubborn stand as Roderick inside-edged a drive onto his stumps. 184-7 saw Joe Leach make his way to the middle as Neser returned at the River End with the new batter cover-driving the Australian. Waite also nurdled Labuschagne for four but the light had deteriorated and with seven overs remaining play was abandoned for the day.

Afternoon Update

Having faced a maiden over from Timm van der Gugten before lunch, Ed Pollock on-drove the Dutchman for four before driving Neser through the covers for four. But next over he inside-edged a delivery from van der Gugten which was safely pouched by Cooke. Azhar Ali announced his arrival with a pair of cover-driven fours but in van der Gugten’s next over he removed Taylor Cornall who was trapped l.b.w.

Having been joined by Jack Haynes, Azhar off-drove James Harris for four before cover-driving Neser when he switched to the River End. The Pakistani unfurled another high-class cover-drive against Harris before Haynes struck a pair of leg-side boundaries against Harris. But Jamie McIlroy then entered the attack and with his third delivery he removed Haynes l.b.w. with a ball which jagged back in as the visitors slipped to 48-3.

Adam Hose came in and was faced with some funky fields including four men on the drive plus a solitary slip. Hose got off the mark with a pair of nurdled fours to third man before drilling Lloyd through the covers. He also guided successive balls from Lloyd to third man, before straight-driving Lloyd but next over, and with the total on 98, he chopped a ball from the uber-frugal McIlroy onto his stumps as Brett D’Oliveira replaced him at the crease.
However Timm van der Gugten returned shortly before tea in tandem with Neser who returned at the Cathedral Road End, with van der Gugten having D’Oliveria caught behind by Cooke before next over gaining the prized wicket of Azhar who departed l.b.w. to the Dutchman with the visitors slipping to 112-6.

Morning Update

Sixteen wickets fell yesterday on the opening day of this contest as the in-form and buoyant Glamorgan seam attack exploited conditions at an overcast Sophia Gardens, besides vindicating David Lloyd’s decision to once again bowl first as they dismissed Worcestershire for 109 with James Harris and Michael Neser sharing eight wickets between them. The visitors were not as effective with the ball at first as the pitch dried further in the sun and noticeably hanged colour but, having regrouped at tea, changed their lengths and bowled to different fields, Glamorgan slipped in the space of 18.5 overs from 88-1 to 120-6.

An unbroken stand of 57 between Billy Root and Michael Neser had allowed Glamorgan to end the day with a lead of 68 and the pair were eager to further extend their advantage when play resumed this morning as Adam Finch and Joe Leach resumed the bowling. However, in the third over of the morning, Finch found the edge of Root’s bat and Jack Haynes at second slip completed the diving catch. 181-7 saw Timm van der Gugten join Neser who plundered a trio of fours in an over against Finch - the first off an inside-edge to fine-leg, the second crisply driven through mid-wicket and the third punched off the back foot through extra-cover.

Van der Gugten clipped Finch to square-leg for four to bring up the 200 in the 60^th over, before Neser completed his fifty from 64 balls by off-driving Matthew Waite, with the lead also reaching three figures. Neser celebrated by pulling Finch for four before van der Gugten swatted Josh Tongue over extra cover for four. Neser greeted the introduction of Brett D’Oliveira’s wrist spin by fiercely square-cutting him for four, but the visiting captain ended the partnership as van der Gugten edged a cut into Gareth Roderick’s gloves.

238-8 then became 239-9 as James Harris edged Finch and gave Roderick a second catch of the morning as Jamie McIlroy made his way to the middle. Neser responded by drilling successive balls from Finch to long-on before Neser brought up the 250 and a batting point before late-cutting Leach for four. He then swatted another ball from Leach to mid-wicket but on 86 he spliced a cut to point where Taylor Cornall completed the catch. Cornall was then at the non-striker’s end as Worcestershire faced one over before lunch.

Afternoon Report

With Glamorgan on 34-0, the Welsh county only needed a further 44 runs when play resumed after lunch with David Lloyd and Eddie Byrom facing the bowling of Adam Finch and Brett D’Oliveira. The latter was reverse-swept for four and on-diving for four by Byrom who then struck a trio of fours in successive balls from the former, through the covers and mid-on. Lloyd then swept D’Oliveira for four before cover-driving Taylor Cornall when the left-arm spinner appeared with Glamorgan in the home straight.

Byrom then struck a pair of fours against D’Oliveira to reach his fifty from 55 balls as well as securing victory for his team at 1400 as Glamorgan equalled their achievement of winning by ten wickets at Cardiff in 2013.

Lunchtime Update

For a while yesterday it looked as if Glamorgan might record their first two-day victory since 30 April 2021 when they humbled Kent by ten wickets in a match where neither team secured a batting point. On that occasion, the Welsh county made 197 and dismissed Kent for 138 and a paltry 74. Yesterday Michael Neser continued his impressive run of form with ball and bat by making 87 and guiding his adopted county to a batting point before delivering any waspish spell in tandem with the outstanding Timm van der Gugten who took 4/7 in 33 balls.

However, some stubborn resistance from Worcestershire’s lower order has taken this match into a third day with Matthew Waite displaying his Yorkshire grit as the Leeds-born all-rounder compiled an unbeaten 45 in an hour and three-quarters before bad light brought an early finish with seven overs remaining. Van der Gugten was back in action this morning, in tandem with Jamie McIlroy who yesterday had been parsimony personified and his frugality was rewarded this morning as Leach inside-edged a ball from the left-armer onto his stumps.

195-8 saw the arrival of Josh Tongue whose single saw Worcestershire to the 200-mark before Joe Leach edged van der Gugten through a vacant fourth slip. But the Dutchman was not disappointed in his next over as Tongue drove uppishly to backward point where Eddie Byrom completed the catch. Adam Finch was the final Worcestershire batter with Leach responding by flicking McIlroy over square-leg for six before Finch on-drove Harris for four. Leach also swatted Labuschagne for four when the Australian entered the attack, but next over at the River End he was bowled by Harris as Worcestershire’s second innings ended on 227.

Leach was swiftly back into action as he opened the bowling in partnership with Finch, with consecutive balls from the latter being clipped to mid-wicket and through the covers by Byrom.