Ben's century guides Glamorgan in the right direction at Bristol

Welsh rugby supporters may have been peeved by the defeat to South Africa on Saturday, but Glamorgan's supporters had plenty to smile about the performance of their Springbok at Bristol yesterday as Jacques Rudolph made a sublime century and shared an opening stand of 151 with Will Bragg as the visiting county mounted an assertive response to Gloucestershire's first innings total of 391.


Resuming this morning on 209/2 Rudolph and Ben Wright were looking to continue the good work and help Glamorgan move into the ascendancy. There was plenty of shrill chatter around the ground this morning as well with over 300 local children from primary schools in the South Gloucestershire area swelling the third-day crowd. Wright who had been dropped last night at short-leg struck the day's first boundary as he off-drove Will Gidman, whilst Rudolph began with an extended series of singles as he worked the ball around facing the left-arm spin of Tom Smith, and subsequently Liam Norwell who replaced Gidman at the Ashley Down End.


Wright continued to be the more dominant partner as he struck successive fours as he used his feet well to on-drive Smith to the ropes at mid-wicket before sweeping the next delivery to the ropes at fine-leg. The following over he swept the spinner once again to long-leg before disdainfully lofting him over long-on for six and then nonchalantly drilling Norwell to the boards at wide long-on. Another flat-batted sweep for four followed in Smith's next over before he clipped him later in the over to mid-wicket to complete a 70-ball fifty.


Rudolph continued to play second fiddle as he pushed a series of singles with his partner's fusillade of blows resulting in Chris Dent having a short spell at the Pavilion End. However, it was against Benny Howell that Rudolph ended his sequence of singles, as he deftly nurdled the medium-pacer to third man for four. The torrent of boundaries continued as Wright reverse-swept Dent for four and with Glamorgan on 284/2 Gloucestershire took the new ball as soon as it became available.


Gidman and Matt Taylor duly returned to the fray, but Wright continued to play with freedom driving Gidman for four through mid-wicket and mid-on to bring up the century stand before a flurry of singles saw the third wicket pair secure Glamorgan's first batting point. Wright celebrated by despatching Gidman in successive balls for four through cover point and mid-wicket before striking Taylor for three fours in an over, the first square of the wicket and the others through the leg-side.


Wright then drove Norwell through mid-off for another four, before reaching his first Championship hundred of the season by pulling the seamer behind square - his 19th four and 125th delivery, Rudolph then guided the final ball of the session for four through backward point to bring up the 150 stand.