GLAMORGAN v YORKSHIRE

Rain prevented any play on the first day of Glamorgan’s LV=Insurance County Championship match against Yorkshire at Sophia Gardens.

Afternoon Update

The umpires made an initial inspection after lunch and planned to look again around 1430 if the rain had stopped. However, the rains returned at 1400 and with forecasts for further precipitation for the rest of the day, play was called off for the day at 1445.

Morning Update

This is Yorkshire’s first visit to Sophia Gardens since August 1998 to meet Glamorgan in the County Championship, with the White Roses winning that match twenty three years ago after an outstanding all-round contribution by Gavin Hamilton, with the Scottish-born all-rounder posting scores of 79 and 70, besides returning match-figures of 10/112.

It is also the first multi-day contest involving Glamorgan to be televised since their game against the 2000 West Indians at Sophia Gardens, and the first in the County Championship to be broadcast since their title-winning match against Somerset in September 1997.

The weather though was not in celebratory mood with steady drizzle falling over the Welsh capital since the early morning, and with a thick cloud cover over Sophia Gardens and rain still falling at 10.00am, the umpires – Martin Saggers and Nigel Llong – decided that there would be no play before lunch.

Yorkshire were 69-4 when bad light and rain brought an early end to an action-packed day which had earlier seen the visitors dismiss Glamorgan for 149 in their rain-affected LV=Insurance County Championship match at an overcast Sophia Gardens.

Evening Report

Yorkshire were 10-3 when play resumed after tea with the home bowlers cock-a-hoop at making early inroads and plenty of joy in the home camp as Billy Root was presented with his Glamorgan cap prior to the fielders taking to the field. His brother Joe celebrated with a fist-bump as the pair walked out to start the session before striking his first ball of the session through point for four against Michael Hogan before Henry Brook did the same later in the over. Brook also cover-drove Neser before Root flicked Hogan to fine-leg, but Neser struck again in his seventh over, with Yorkshire slipping to 36-4 as Brook became another l.b.w. victim.

Timm van der Gugten then entered the attack as Dom Bess joined Root, before David Lloyd also replaced Neser at the Cathedral Road End. Root cut him for a pair of fours as the cloud cover built up and the light became murky, prompting several consultations between the umpires. Bees off-drove Lloyd for four before pulling van der Gugten to the ropes at fine-leg, but shortly after Dan Douthwaite had bowled the 25th over, the umpires took the players off the field for bad light.

Teatime Report

Glamorgan had stuttered in the half-hour before lunch, losing four wickets for as many runs in the space of 18 balls, so with his side resuming on 77-6 at lunch, there was plenty of rebuilding for captain Chris Cooke to undertake with Michael Neser. The latter on-drove Henry Brook for four but the bowler took his third wicket next over as he trapped Cooke leg before, as Andrew Salter made his way to the middle with Glamorgan on 82-7. He began by cover-driving Brook before Neser inside-edged Coad to fine-leg. Salter then glided Jordan Thompson to wide third man before Neser punched Coad off the back foot through the gully followed by a flowing cover drive.

Andrew Salter also drove Thompson to the ropes at square-leg but with the total on 117, Thompson found the edge of Neser’s bat and Adam Lyth at second slip completed a tumbling catch. Timm van der Gugten began by on-driving the bowler to mid-wicket but with the total on 128 he edged Patterson low to first slip where Tom Kohler-Cadmore completed the catch. Salter then greeted the return of David Willey by cover-driving the left-armer before Michael Hogan lofted Patterson for four to mid-off. However, the latter perished in the next over trying to repeat the stroke against Willey as Glamorgan’s innings ended on 149.

This left Yorkshire with half an hour’s batting before tea, with Neser opening the bowling. After having a loud appeal for l.b.w. rejected against Adam Lyth with his first delivery on Welsh soil, he removed the opener with the final ball of his first over courtesy of a superb one-handed catch by the diving Kiran Carlson at mid-wicket. Gary Balance joined Kohler-Cadmore but with the total on 6, the latter became Hogan’s 397th first-class wicket for Glamorgan as he was bowled shouldering arms to the evergreen bowler.

His departure prompted the arrival of Joe Root who safely negotiated a couple of hostile overs from the home county’s Australian duo but in the final over before the interval Neser struck again as Balance swatted him to third man where Joe Cooke completed the catch.

Morning Update

After the loss to rain of the opening day of this televised contest – the first multi-day game played by Glamorgan since 2000 to be covered by Sky – play began on time at 1100 with 104 overs to be bowled today and tomorrow. The Welsh county made one change to their line-up which drew last week with Lancashire in another rain-affected contest at Old Trafford, with Michael Hogan – whose career tally of wickets for Glamorgan currently stands at 396 – replacing Callum Taylor.

Joe Cooke and David Lloyd opened the batting for Glamorgan with Ben Coad and Jordan Thompson performing the bowling duties, with Cooke glancing the latter for four to fine-leg before Lloyd square-drove the former to the point boundary. But with the total on 11 Thompson trapped Cooke l.b.w. with an in-swinging delivery as Marnus Labuschagne joined Lloyd and survived a run out chance as he aborted a quick single to extra cover. The Australian atoned for his aberration by cover-driving Coad for four before Lloyd survived a sharp chance at third slip later in the over as Henry Brook failed to grasp the waist-high edge.

Lloyd celebrated his good fortune by unfurling a pair of sumptuous cover-drives against Thompson before Labuschagne deftly glanced Coad to the ropes at fine-leg. But the bowler made the perfect riposte as next ball he pinned the batsman in front of the stumps and the umpire upheld the appeal for l.b.w. 34-2 saw Billy Root make his way to the middle and opened his account with a silky-smooth cover drive for four against Coad who was also flicked by Lloyd to mid-wicket for three.

The opener then greeted the introduction of David Willey into the attack by drilling him to the boards at mid-off before clipping the left-armer to deep square-leg to bring up the 50. Steve Patterson, the visiting captain also entered the fray and was edged to third man by Root before being dispatched through the covers for a second boundary. But Patterson ended Lloyd’s innings in the 25th over as the North Walian shouldered arms to a delivery which trimmed the top of off-stump.

Kiran Carlson began with a cover-driven four but next ball he edged Patterson to second slip where Tom Kohler-Cadmore completed a shoulder-high catch. 73-4 then became 73-5 as Billy Root got a leading edge to a delivery from Brook who completed a one-handed catch in his follow through, and in his next over, the all-rounder struck again without further addition as Dan Douthwaite departed leg before.

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Despite Michael Neser taking 5/39, a watchful 99 from Joe Root guided Yorkshire to 230 on the third day of their rain-affected LV=Insurance County Championship match against Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens, with Root’s patient efforts and a record stand of 118 for the ninth wicket with Steve Patterson, helping his side to an invaluable first innings lead of 81 runs. Batting for a second time, Glamorgan were 108-3 at the close.

Evening update

By tea, Yorkshire’s ninth wicket pair of Joe Root and Steve Patterson had added 74 in 19.1 overs to wipe off the deficit and provide the basis of a small, but potentially significant, lead besides beating the White Roses previous best stand for that wicket, set at Bradford in 1959 when Dickie Bird and Don Wilson added an unbeaten 70. When play resumed after tea, Glamorgan were keen to polish off the Yorkshire innings with Timm van der Gugten returning to the attack in tandem with Andrew Salter.

Root twice reverse-swept the off-spinner to third man as Yorkshire closed in on a batting point, before a nurdled single to third man by Root brought up the 200 in the 65th over. Five overs later an edged drive to third man by Root against Salter brought up the century stand as the pair continued to extend their lead and frustrate the home attack. Dan Douthwaite returned to the fray and removed Root as on 99, and after almost five hours at the crease he chopped a ball onto his stumps. Three balls later Salter ended the innings as Ben Coad skewed a ball to Neser at backward point, with Yorkshire securing a decent first innings lead of 81 runs.

This left Glamorgan with 27 overs to face as Coad and Thompson shared the new ball against Joe Cooke and David Lloyd. The latter cover drove and late cut Thompson for a pair of fours, whilst the former on-drove Coad. But Coad made amends as in his next over he found the edge of Cooke’s bat with Harry Duke completing a regulation catch.

16-1 saw the arrival of Marnus Labuschagne with the young wicket-keeper immediately standing up to the stumps but next over Thompson bowled the Australian with a ball that jagged back in, as he recorded his first-ever Championship duck. Billy Root began by cover-driving Thompson, followed by a laconic flick to fine-leg, whilst David Lloyd greeted Patterson by clipping his second delivery to the ropes at mid-wicket before cover-driving the fifth.

But Henry Brook entered the attack at the River End and removed Root l.b.w as Kiran Carlson joined Lloyd with Glamorgan still 38 runs in arrears. He began with his signature cover drive, followed by a nurdled four to third man. Lloyd also clipped Patterson for four to mid-wicket before driving Brook to the boards at long-on.

Carlson greeted David Willey by clipping him to fine-leg before drilling him through backward point, but next over he survived a chance at second slip as Adam Lyth spilled a chance. Carlson then steered the left-armer again through point for four to take Glamorgan into the lead. Lloyd also flicked Willey to fine-leg with Carlson completing his 2,000th run in first-class cricket for Glamorgan shortly before the close.

Teatime Update

After the morning rains, play got underway at 1310pm with 80 overs remaining in the day’s allocation as Joe Root and Dom Bess resumed Yorkshire’s first innings on 69-4. The two Michael’s, Messrs Hogan and Neser, continued the bowling duties with Bess straight driving Hogan for three. However, in Neser’s third over he edged the Australian into David Lloyd’s hands at second slip. 78-5 immediately became 78-6 as debutant Harry Duke miscued a pull to his first ball in senior cricket with Joe Cooke running around from mid-wicket to square-leg to complete a sprawling catch.

Jordan Thompson cover drove the hat-trick ball before next over flicking Neser over square-leg for six, but with the total on 91 his little cameo came to an end as Hogan trapped him leg before with the evergreen bowler claiming his 398th first-class wicket for his adopted county. David Willey then joined Root and like his partner accumulated in singles until, with the total on 111, he played his first stroke in anger and holed out to Joe Cooke at deep square-leg in Dan Douthwaite’s fourth over.

Steve Patterson struck the day’s first four as he scythed Douthwaite through point before Root completed his patient fifty from 120 balls after three and a quarter hours of watchful application. Patterson then drove Lloyd through cover point for four as Yorkshire moved closer and closer to wiping off the deficit. Patterson duly brought up the 150 with an off-drive against Neser. He also steered Hogan through point for four before Glamorgan introduced the leg-spin of Marnus Labuschagne shortly before tea. Root then struck his first four of the day as he on-drove Hogan before Patterson thick-edged Labuschagne to third man for four.

Morning Update

What is it about the second day of Championship matches this summer at Cardiff? The previous contest against Kent saw eighteen wickets tumble on a helter-skelter second day, whilst yesterday - the second scheduled day of this contest with Yorkshire – fourteen fell in bowler-friendly conditions, and there might have been even more had 23 overs not be lost to a mix of bad light and drizzle last night when the Glamorgan side had their tails up after reducing the visitors to 10-3. Some watchful application and northern grit from Joe Root helped Yorkshire reach 69-4 by the time the players left the field with the White Roses 80 runs in arrears.

With two days remaining, and honours even, both sides have plenty to play for, but the weather has intervened again with rain causing a delay to the start of play. The precipitation had been falling still the early hours with the protective sheets and covers across the entire square and pitch. The rain eased around 1000 allowing mopping-up operations to begin, but with plenty of surface water to remove from the sheets, the umpires decided to delay the start. After an inspection at 12.00noon, it was decided to take an early lunch at 1230pm with play starting at 1310pm.

Just thirteen overs were possible on the final day of Glamorgan’s LV=Insurance County Championship match against Yorkshire at Sophia Gardens with the home side reaching 164-4 with Kiran Carlson making an unbeaten 88 as the rain-ravaged game ended in a draw shortly after the start of the final hour.

Close of Play Report

Play began at 1615pm with just 28 overs remaining in the contest with Glamorgan resuming on 108-3 and a lead of 27. David Lloyd and Kiran Carlson duly faced Jordan Thompson and Ben Coad with the latter being nonchalantly flicked to mid-wicket by Carlson before the birthday boy off-drove him to complete a 46-ball fifty. But in his next over Coad removed Lloyd who departed l.b.w. having not added to his overnight total.

Chris Cooke joined Carlson who twice cover-drove Thompson as the Glamorgan lead went passed 50, before Steve Patterson replaced Coad at the Cathedral Road End. Carlson also drove him through extra cover for three before Cooke greeted the introduction of David Willey into the attack by steering him through backward point for four. Carklson then guided him to third man before producing another coruscating cover drive. He repeated the stroke against Patterson just before the start of the final hour but after another over from Willey, the captains punched gloves and the game ended in a draw.

Morning Update

What finer way for a cricketer to celebrate their 23rd birthday than impressing in a televised match? This was the prospect facing Kiran Carlson this morning as he prepared to continue his innings against Yorkshire at Sophia Gardens having last made an elegant 44 in a doughty stand of 65 for the fourth wicket with David Lloyd as the pair of Welshmen erased the arrears on first innings, before taking their side into a lead of 27 runs and, with 96 overs remaining in the contest, plenty of opportunities for the pair to continue the decent impression they have already made.

A minimum of 96 overs remained in the contest when the players arrived at the ground around 0900 but by this time the weather had intervened once again with steady drizzle falling over the ground and with rain still falling over the ground at 1015 the umpires decided to delay the start. The rain continued until 12noon with mopping up operations taking place prior to the umpires making an initial inspection at 1230. A further inspection took place at 1345 at which the umpires decided to have a further look at 1500.

With conditions improving, the umpires looked again at 1540pm and agreed to start at 1615pm with 28 overs remaining in the contest.