As the old adage says all good things must come to an end, and this match is a case in point as the curtain comes down on the domestic season after over six months of battle between bat and ball. It also marks the end of Mark Wallace's remarkable sequence of consecutive appearances in County Championship matches, stretching back to June 13th, 2001 when he was a late call-up to replace Adrian Shaw behind the stumps in Glamorgan's match against Kent at Maidstone. Last week at Northampton, Mark tore his left calf muscle in what was his 249th first-class match and 230th successive appearance in the Championship for the Welsh county.
Consequently, Chris Cooke will again keep wicket in this game, with Jacques Rudolph - having returned from South Africa on paternity leave - replacing the injured Wallace. Indeed, after winning the toss, the proud father opened the batting with James Kettleborough when the match got under way at 11.30am after overnight rain and a damp outfield delayed the start and resulted in the loss of eight overs from the daily quota. David Payne and James Fuller shared the new ball with Rudolph upper-cutting the former over the slip cordon for the day's first boundary as both bowlers extracted horizontal and vertical movement in the overcast conditions.
After a six over spell in which Glamorgan had accrued a single plus a leg-bye, Rudolph drilled Payne through mid-off for four before Kieran Noema-Barnett and Tom Hampton had an over each before lunch, with Kettleborough finding the ropes as he swatted Hampton square of the wicket.
Having reached 22/0 from 14 overs at lunch, Jacques Rudolph and James Kettleborough were looking to make further steady progress during the afternoon session. The latter was the first to find the ropes as he nurdled Tom Hampton to third man, before next over Rudolph dis the same to David Payne. But with the total on 38, Rudolph departed l.b.w. to Payne as the left-arm bowler produced a delivery which sharply swung back in to the opener.
Five minutes later a heavy shower crossed the ground, shaving a further four overs from the day's play. To the second delivery after the resumption, Kettleborough edged Hampton to second slip where Chris Dent failed to cling onto the chance as the ball ricocheted away for four. The opener continued to live dangerously as he swatted Hampton over the heads of the slip cordon before pulling the young seamer over the outstretched hands of mid-on for another four as the fifty came up in the 22nd over.
There was nothing fortuitous though about his next boundary as he crisply off-drove Hampton, and next over Colin Ingram followed suit as he despatched Payne through point. The flurry of fours continued as Kettleborough steered Hampton again through the covers before pulling the next ball to the ropes at mid-wicket. Ingram then launched successive balls from Kieran Noema-Barnett's through point and extra cover before Kettleborough scythed James Fuller to third man for his ninth four before completing his half-century by square-cutting the bowler for another four.
Ingram also had a moment of good fortune as he inside-edged an expansive drive against Noema-Barnett to fine-leg. But with the total on 109 the South African's stay at the crease ended as, on 30, he edged a drive against James Fuller with Gareth Roderick completing a regulation catch behind the stumps. Aneurin Donald opened his account by edging both Fuller and Noema-Barnett to third man before Kettleborough clipped Fuller to fine-leg followed by another glide to third man when Hampton retuned at the Ashley Down End.
Donald then unfurled a sumptuous on-drove for four against Hampton before biffing another short ball from the seamer through extra cover. The young tyro also swatted a short ball from Hampton high over the slip cordon for four before Kettleborough delicately late cut a ball from Benny Howell for four, followed by a silky cover drive for his fourteenth boundary and to complete his highest score in first-class cricket.
Kettleborough was unbeaten on 78 when play resumed after tea with the Welsh county on 161/2 but in the third over after the interval his three-hour innings came to an abrupt end as he feathered a catch to Gareth Roderick as David Payne's left-arm swing was rewarded with a second wicket. Having been joined by Chris Cooke, Donald drilled Payne through the covers for four, before the new batsman also found the ropes by flicking the left-armer to long-leg.
With Roderick having sustained a finger injury shortly before tea, James Bracey, Gloucestershire's Academy wicket-keeper then made his way - with Glamorgan's blessing - out to the middle to act as substitute wicket-keeper. The youngster then failed to pouch a sharp chance down the leg-side as Donald attempted to glance Payne .Cooke added another four to his tally as he on-drove and cover drove successive balls from Payne as the first batting point was secured in the 53rd over.
Cooke greeted the return of Kieran Noema-Barnett by clipping and puling successive balls from the Kiwi to the ropes at mid-wicket before two balls later nurdling him to third man. Donald then swept the spin of Tom Smith for four before advancing down the wicket and cover-driving him for four en route to a 70-ball fifty. Shortly afterwards, Cooke followed suit from 54 balls as he late cut Noema-Barnett before despatching James Fuller through extra cover for his eighth four.
Cooke maintained the tempo by pulling a short-ball from Noema-Barnett for another four, before Donald drilled the burly Kiwi through extra-cover for another coruscating boundary. Cooke brought up the century stand by deftly reverse-sweeping Jack Taylor when the off-spinner entered the attack in the 63rd over. But with the total on 266 Cooke's forthright innings ended on 65 as he pulled Fuller to Payne at long-leg.
David Lloyd joined Donald and survived a half-chance as he miscued a pull just out of the reach of the reserve keeper as he ran towards square-leg. Donald continued to work the ball around before cover-driving Hampton with great panache. A bank of cloud started to build up over the Nevil Road ground as Donald flicked Hampton for another four to long-leg.
Donald swept Taylor for four before nurdling him for three to move closer towards a maiden hundred but light rain started to fall as the players left the field with a further seven overs being lost before play resumed under clear blue sky at 6pm. Lloyd duly pulled Payne for four to fine-leg before Donald cover drove Payne for three as he moved into the nineties. Lloyd also clubbed the left-armer square of the wicket for four before a series of short balls in the penultimate over from Fuller saw Donald end the day unbeaten on 91 and nine runs away from a maiden hundred