Bullish Bragg hopes Glam setup big finish

11 May 2015 | Cricket
Honours remained fairly even at the mid-point of Glamorgan's LV= County Championship clash with Kent in Canterbury, after batsman Will Bragg scored his second hundred of the summer.
Bragg, fresh from a career-best 120 against Leicestershire in the first round of this season's Division 2 games, hit a dozen boundaries in his 208-ball ton as Glamorgan posted 281 all out in response to Kent's season's best first innings total of 357.

The left-hander from Newport took advantage of a let-off with his score on 16 to reach the third hundred of his career and cut Kent's first innings advantage to a mere 76 runs.

With his side in trouble on 54 for three, Wagg was fortunate to see Matt Coles, stationed at second slip, drop a comfortable catch off the bowling of Calum Haggett and went on to bat late into the last session on an easing pitch at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.

Kent looked set for a considerable first innings lead as they claimed three Welsh wickets in the 90 minute stint through to lunch. Glamorgan counter attacked in the mid-session and although the run-rate increased, wickets still fell at regular intervals, but Bragg ensured that that batting for a second time immediately would not be Glamorgan's fate.

He moved to 99 by steering one from Coles to third man then punched a single to extra cover to raise three figures having spent a shade under four hours at the crease. Bragg's vigil ended when Thomas returned to bowl him around his legs for 104, then Stevens plucked out Michael Hogan's middle stump to finish the tail end resistance.

Glamorgan's century-maker Will Bragg, though disappointed by his dismissal late in the day, still feels his side remain well placed in the game.

We've battled well this afternoon and think if we can roll Kent over reasonably cheaply second time we're still in with a shout. It's still such a good pitch that I wouldn't be worried about us chasing down 300 on the final day.

When you look at my conversion rate of 50s to 100s so far in my career it's not as good as it should be. So although I'm happy to have reached three figures here, I'm still aware I had a big let-off when being dropped on 16.

Kent start day 3 resuming on 1/0, 77 runs ahead of the Welsh county.