Cardiff MCCU are 56/2 in their second innings, with an overall lead of 88 runs at the end of the second day of their friendly against Glamorgan at The SSE SWALEC after Kiran Carlson (69*) and Andrew Salter (51*) had completed half-centuries for the Welsh county.
Close of Play Report
With Glamorgan having declared at tea 32 runs in arrears, it was Joe Ludlow and Connor Brown who were in the middle when play resumed after tea, but as in the student’s first innings, they lost a wicket in the opening over as Joe Ludlow, having leg-glanced Marchant de Lange’s opening delivery to the ropes, drove the pace bowler into the hands of Michael Hogan at mid-off.
4/1 then became 7/2 as de Lange struck again thanks to a stunning one-handed catch to his left by Nick Selman at second slip. Harry Allen then upper cut Timm van der Gugten for four before on-driving de Lange for three whilst Alex Milton steered van der Gugten through backward point.
Milton also clipped Lukas Carey to fine-leg for four as together with Allen, the crimson caps skipper guided his side to the 50-mark courtesy of a savage pull against Lloyd
Teatime Report
Resuming on 57/4 , Kiran Carlson and David Lloyd faced the return of Andrew Brewster in tandem with AJ Woodland. The latter was clipped to square-leg by Lloyd who then pulled Brewster for four to mid-wicket followed by a flowing cover drive. With sunshine and blue sky having replacing the blanket of low cloud , Carlson also cover drove Woodland for four besides working the ball around for one’s and two’s as conditions appeared to become easier for the batsmen.
Carlson also square-cut Brewster for four before Lloyd drilled Woodland to long-on, prompting a change in the bowling with the introduction of Sam Pearce’s leg-breaks and the return of Brad Evans. Lloyd nurdled Pearce for four to take Glamorgan into three figures before pulling Evans to the ropes at square-leg for four, and repeating the stroke next over for six.
There had been a few swift singles as well, plus a couple of near run outs during the post-lunch session, but Lloyd on 46 was not so fortunate as Carlson pushed the ball to Evans at mid-wicket and called for a single, but the swift throw by the Zimbabwean found Lloyd short of his ground as Alex Milton removed the bails.
126/5 saw Andrew Salter join Carlson who continued to work the ball around for singles against his fellow undergraduates. After some singles of his own, Salter twice cover drove Turpin to the boards before square-driving Pearce to the ropes. Carlson then greeted the return of Woodland by cutting him through backward point for four en route to completing a 144-ball fifty.
Salter found the ropes again as he swept Harry Allen’s left-arm spin followed by a square-drive against Woodland plus a huge pull for six before the all-rounder completed his half-century from 66 balls by nurdling Joe Ludlow to backward point.
Lunchtime Update
It’s the day when the nation is gripped by Grand National fever, as the world’s most famous steeplechase takes place over thirty obstacles at the Aintree racecourse in Liverpool. By the time the field of seasoned thoroughbreds compete later this afternoon, Glamorgan’s young colts were hoping to impress with the bat, ahead of the opening Specsavers County Championship match starting next Friday at Bristol.
But, as in the famous horse race, there are often early fallers whilst the form book sometimes goes out of the window, as after an hours play, Glamorgan had stumbled to 28/3 in the face of some exemplary bowling in the overcast and damp conditions by Brad Evans, the Zimbabwean-born seamer and Yorkshireman Andrew Brewster.
Evans, in a probing spell at the River End, beat both batsmen, with Selman getting a thick outside edge to the latter as the first boundary of the day saw the ball speed away to the ropes at third man. Selman did the same shortly afterwards against Evans before Murphy elegantly straight drove Brewster, but with the total on 25, the tall opener was caught at point by a diving Connor Brown.
Three runs later Brewster – who has played for Glamorgan 2nd XI – also removed Selman who sparred at a ball outside off stump and was caught by wicket-keeper Alex Milton, before the same combination accounted for Aneurin Donald without any further addition to the total.
28/3 saw Chris Cooke and Kiran Carlson join forces, with the latter edging Brewster through the slips for four as the youngster completed an excellent ten over spell at the Cathedral Road End before AJ Woodland and James Turpin shared the bowling duties. The pair kept things tight and in his fifth over Woodland found the edge of Cooke’s bat to give Milton his third victim and the morning honours to the crimson caps