Kiran Carlson came within nine runs of becoming Glamorgan’s youngest-ever double-centurion as he made a career-best 191 as the Welsh county ended on 442 on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match with Gloucestershire at The SSE SWALEC. In reply, Gloucestershire were 161/1 from 47 overs when rain ended play for the day shortly after tea
Evening Update
Benny Howell was eleven runs short of his second century in Championship cricket when play resumed under leaden skies at Cardiff, but it was James Bracey who struck the first boundary of the session as he cover drove Andrew Salter for four. Rain started to fall as Bracey found the ropes again as he cover drove Meschede, but after one further over, the players left the field at 4.15pm with Gloucestershire on 161/1. With rain still falling an hour later, the umpies called off play for the day.
Afternoon Report
With fifteen minutes to bat before lunch, Chris Dent launched Gloucestershire’s reply by flicking de Lange to the ropes at square-leg as the visitors were 12/0 at the interval. The South African and Michael Hogan continued the bowling after lunch with the frugal Australian delivering four successive maidens. Benny Howell struck de Lange for successive fours through point and to third man, as well as pulling him for four to square-leg, before drilling him through the covers next over.
Howell then greeted the appearance of Ruaidhri Smith into the attack by cover-driving and pulling successive balls for four as the 50 came up in the 13th over. But Smith made the breakthrough next over as Dent edged a ball into Chris Cooke’s gloves. Howell then under-edged Craig Meschede for four to fine-leg before completing a 62-ball fifty by cover-driving Meschede.
James Bracey announced his arrival by pulling Meschede for six before Howell straight drove and pulled Smith for four. De Lange and Hogan then returned as the cloud cover increased over the Stadium, with Howell carving de Lange for four through point to bring up the hundred before Bracey square-drove de Lange. Howell then greeted the introduction of Andrew Salter into the attack by sweeping him for six before Bracey cover-drove Hogan with light drizzle starting to fall.
Howell also drove Salter to the boards at long-off as Gloucestershire reached 140/1.
Morning Report
On a day when Cardiff was full of fresh-faced youngsters, poised to commence their undergraduate studies at one of the city’s three universities, it was appropriate that a first year engineering student should take centre-stage at The SSE SWALEC as he carefully laid the foundations for one of Glamorgan’s healthiest positions this summer in the first innings of a Championship game.
After an assured cameo from debutant opener Connor Brown, himself a student in the Welsh capital city, it was Kiran Carlson who watchfully occupied the crease for almost six hours and guided his side from the potential banana skin of being 63/4 to one, at the close, where a fourth, and possibly fifth, batting point were in the compass of the home side after they had been invited to bat first by Gloucestershire.
Perhaps mindful of events on the opening day earlier in the season at Cheltenham, Phil Mustard exercised his right to bowl first, and when the diminutive batsman arrived at the crease after twenty minutes play, Glamorgan had already lost a couple of cheap wickets. But there was to be no repetition of the events in the Cotswold town as, with doughty support from Chris Cooke, Carlson helped to turn things around by early afternoon, and then with Andrew Salter shared a record stand of 182 in 51.2 overs to put Glamorgan into the ascendancy.
September 20th, 2017 is also the 20th anniversary of Glamorgan’s most recent Championship title success – a feat achieved before Carlson, like the other freshers in the city, were born but the 19 year-old had a chance this morning to write his name in the Club’s record books for the highest individual score by a homegrown batsman since the Stadium was created in the late 2000s.
Carlson began the day unbeaten on 137 and he soon added to his boundary tally by swatting Josh Shaw to the ropes at backward square-leg. Ruaidhri Smith was then struck on the helmet by a delivery from David Payne, but he recovered and duly brought up the 350 and the fourth batting point with a flick to mid-wicket. Carlson then pulled Payne for four before Smith did the same to Shaw.
Smith greeted the return of Kieran Noema-Barnett by nonchalantly cover-driving the Kiwi
Carlson duly completed his maiden 150 from 288 balls by edging Matt Taylor between slip and gully for four – his 22nd boundary. He repeated the stroke next over against Noema-Barnett The teenager then brought up the 50-stand by on-driving Taylor, followed by a pull for four as the Welsh county ended the 110th over on 392/7.
Another booming off-drive followed by Smith against Noema-Barnett before Carlson cover-drove Jack Taylor to pass Ben Wright’s 172 against the same opponents in 2010 as the highest score by a homegrown batsman since the creation of the Stadium. Smith then cover-drove the spinner for four but with the total on 433 he edged to first slip and departed for 38. Three balls later Taylor removed De Lange l.b.w. as last man Michael Hogan joined the teenager on 184.
He opened his shoulders to add 2 and 1, before slapping Matt Taylor for four over extra-cover, but next over his450-minute innings came to an end as he advanced down the wicket to Jack Taylor and miscued a drive to Miles Hammond, the substitute fielder, at mid-on.