Despite 95 by Billy Godleman, Glamorgan dismissed Derbyshire for 251 with Graham Wagg taking 3/36 after the home side had been put in to bat by Glamorgan on a green-tinged wicket on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match at a chilly and overcast Derby. When bad light brought an early finish, Glamorgan were 20/0 in reply.
Evening update
Play resumed shortly after 4pm with eight overs having been lost, as Hogan and Bull resumed the bowling duties. Godleman cover drove the latter before lofting him just over the head of Stephen Cook at mid-on. He then saw his side to a batting point. Martin Andersson then thick-edged the returning Graham Wagg through the slip cordon for four, but to the last ball of the over, he was trapped l.b.w and departed with his adopted county on 205/7.
Tony Palladino joined Godleman who appeared to have rubbed salt into the Welsh county’s wounds by edging a no-ball from Wagg into Cooke’s gloves. But two balls later a jubilant Wagg found the edge again as Cooke dive low to his left in front of the slips with Derbyshire on 214/8. Lockie Ferguson duly made his way to the middle and off-drove Wagg for three but later in the over he also departed leg before.
Ravi Rampaul edged van der Gugten to third man and glanced him for four to fine-leg, besides using the long handle in tandem with Palladino as Derbyshire secured a second batting point on 250. But one run later Rampaul’s little cameo ended as he miscued a drive against van der Gugten and was caught by Cook at mid-on.
Thirteen overs were remaining when Cook and Brown began Glamorgan’s reply with the latter guiding Ferguson safely through the slip cordon for four. Cook also pushed the ball around for a series of singles as the floodlights started to take over in the evening gloom. Brown also leg-glanced Rampaul for four to long-leg and after six overs, the umpires left the field with Glamorgan on 20/0
Afternoon Update
Drizzle delayed the resumption by twenty minutes as Matt Critchley joined Godleman who nearly ran himself out in the second over of the session delivered by Timm van der Gugten. Critchley also nearly gloved the fiery Dutchman into Cooke’s gloves before a more assured cover drive brought him his second boundary. He then unfurled a short-arm jab to punch Hogan through mid-on for four before edging the bowler just short of first slip.
Despite still playing and missing outside off stump, Godleman completed his fifty from 96 balls before Critchley edged van der Gugten once again just short of first slip, followed by another outside edge to the ropes at third man. Another four came his way with a crisp square-cut against Hogan but shortly afterwards, with the total on 143, he was snared l.b.w. by the red-ball captain.
His counterpart Godleman then nearly ran out his new partner, Harvey Hosein, on two occasions with the youngster celebrating his good fortune by pulling van der Gugten for four. Kieran Bull then had a spell at the Racecourse End, with Smith returning at the City End. The latter was cut and cover driven for a pair of fours by Godleman, whilst Hosein unfurled a ramp stroke to fine-leg against the former. But next over he jaywalked down the wicket to the spinner and was smartly stumped by Cooke – his first of the season in Championship cricket.
Martin Andersson, another loanee from Middlesex joined Godleman but shortly after arriving in the middle, the drizzle returned and the players left the field shortly after 3pm for an early tea.
Morning Update
The headlines in the morning newspapers were all about the retirement of Alastair Cook from Test cricket and his final innings in England colours on Friday at The Kia Oval. For Glamorgan, the main news this morning was the start of another Cook’s career, with South African Stephen having joined the Welsh county for the rest of the season, having posted 116 as captain of the Lions against the Cape Cobras at Potchefstrom in his most recent first-class innings.
He was one of four changes to the Glamorgan side after their defeat against Warwickshire at Colwyn Bay, with Timm van der Gugten also returning having recovered from a shoulder injury during the final T20 match. Off-spinner Kieran Bull also makes his first Championship appearance since playing against Lancashire at Old Trafford in August 2015 whilst Tom Cullen who, like Bull, has been in decent form for Glamorgan 2nd XI, makes his first appearance since playing last August against Sussex at Colwyn Bay.
With the floodlights on, Van der Gugten took the new ball and with his first delivery struck Tom Lace a painful blow on the gloves. After treatment, he edged the fifth ball but was dropped at second slip before running a series of singles with Billy Godleman. Lace then struck the day’s first boundary as he edged the Dutchman through a vacant fifth slip. After a couple of overs from Ruaidhri Smith, Michael Hogan entered the attack and with his first two deliveries beat the outside edge of Godleman’s bat.
But with the total on 32, van der Gugten removed Lace as the on-loan opener shouldered arms. It nearly became 32/2 as Carlson almost held onto a wonder catch diving full stretch to his left as Wayne Madsen played a square-cut, only for the ball to bounce out of the airborne fielder’s hands as he landed back on terra firma. Godleman also edged van der Gugten but the ball landed just short of third slip but Madsen was not so fortunate as he spooned a catch to square-leg which a gleeful Cullen safely pouched.
41/2 saw Alex Hughes, who made a century earlier in the season at Swansea, join his captain and he began by on-driving van der Gugten for four before nearly scooping a ball to a diving Hogan at mid-on. But two balls later he feathered a catch to Chris Cooke as Glamorgan secured a richly deserved bowling point in the 13th over.
Gary Wilson joined Godleman who for the umpteenth time was beaten outside off stump by the probing Hogan. Wilson then greeted the return of Smith by square-cutting him for four before Graham Wagg also beat the outside edge of Godleman’s bat. The home captain responded by pulling Smith to the ropes at square-leg before nurdling him to third man and cover-driving the next delivery for the third four of the over.
Wilson also greeted the introduction of David Lloyd shortly before lunch by pulling him for four before bringing up the hundred with an edged four through a vacant third slip. But he shouldered arms to the final ball of the over, and the session, and departed l.b.w. to give Lloyd his 50th first-class wicket.