Durham were 158/3 when bad light followed by rain ended play on the third day of their match against Glamorgan at Swansea in the Specsavers County Championship, after a feisty 75 from Andrew Salter, who shared a jaunty last wicket stand of 74 with Michael Hogan saw the Welsh county clinch a first innings lead of 11 runs.
Evening Report
Durham resumed on 105/3 after tea and Graham Clark, who had survived a caught and bowled chance before the interval, was quickly into his stride as he flicked Timm van der Gugten to fine-leg before driving him through the covers. With Paul Collingwood again dropping anchor, Clark duly completed his fifty from 97 balls by clipping Hogan to fine-leg before edging the red-ball captain through the slips for his tenth boundary.
A bank of heavy cumulus cloud started to build up over the Bristol Channel as the cycling leg of the Swansea tri-athalon also began along the Oystermouth Road. Rain then started to fall with the light having also deteriorated with the players leaving the field with Durham on 158/3 and 24.5 overs still remaining. With the precipitation intensifying, play was called off for the day at 5.40pm.
Teatime update
There were 71 overs remaining when play resumed with Durham trailing by 11 runs and the momentum, which had swung in Glamorgan’s favour during the forty minutes before lunch, continued as with just six runs on the board. Steven Cook edged Marchant de Lange to the morning’s hero, Andrew Salter who was stationed in the gully.
Boundaries by Cameron Steel and Keaton Jennings saw Durham back into the lead with Steel also nurdling van der Gugten through the slip cordon. But Steel’s hopes of galvanizing the innings ended as he inside-edged a ball from van der Gugten onto his stumps. 35/2 saw Graham Clark join Jennings who clipped de Lange through mid-wicket before doing the same to both Hogan and Salter when they entered the attack.
Jennings also swept Salter for a second four in the twirler’s opening over whilst Clark clipped Hogan to fine-leg. Two overs later Clark was nearly caught by a diving Cooke as he tried to repeat the stroke. Jennings continued his steady accumulation by driving Hogan through the covers but with the total on 75 he departed l.b.w. propping half-forward to David Lloyd’s first delivery.
Paul Collingwood announced his arrival by punching Lloyd through the covers for four before swatting de Lange to fine-leg. Clark also flicked the latter off his hips to square-leg before miscuing the next ball and, on 25, being dropped by the bowler who tried to get under the skier only to spill the ball, much to his annoyance.
Lunchtime Report
Heat, haar and holidaymakers have been the features so far of this Bank Holiday match at the seaside ground overlooking Swansea Bay. The sweltering temperatures and clear blue skies of the opening day were replaced yesterday by bands of drizzle and a sea fret which prevented any play at St. Helen’s until 2.30pm. In the remaining 59 overs, Durham’s bowlers chiseled away at the home line-up with Aneurin Donald and Chris Cooke posting half-centuries as Glamorgan ended the second day 117 runs in arrears.
Play resumed on time at 11am with Glamorgan on 225/6 and Chris Rushworth bowling in tandem with Paul Coughlin. Cooke duly struck the day’s first boundary as he on-drove Rushworth but in the fifth over of the day he drove a ball back to Paul Coughlin who dived low in his follow-through to complete the catch as Cooke departed for 69. Marchant de Lange joined Salter who bisected third slip and gully as he steered Coughlin for four before working the ball around for singles as the left-arm spin of George Harding was re-introduced at the Pavilion End, with James Weighell’s seamers at the Mumbles Road End.
After some watchful reconnaissance, de Lange unleashed a fierce straight drive against Weighell before lofting Harding to long-off for another muscular boundary. De Lange then flat-batted the spinner through extra-cover as well as lofting him straight for six before the new ball was taken after 80 overs with Glamorgan on 278/7. It did the trick as with the second delivery Rushworth ended De Lange’s hour long stay at the crease as he yorked the South African.
One run later Coughlin returned and had Timm van der Gugten caught low down at second slip, before Michael Hogan lustily drilled his first two balls through mid-off for four. Salter also thick-edged Coughlin for four before Hogan saw his side in the grand manner to the 300-mark and another batting point by lofting Coughlin straight for six. Andrew Salter also opened his shoulders to club Rushworth through mid-on for four before drilling Coughlin for four to long-on.
Harding then returned to the fray before Salter pulled Coughlin for six to complete his fifty from 122 balls. He celebrated by striking the next ball for six high over mid-wicket, and then reverse-sweeping Harding. A pair of straight fours by Hogan saw his side into the lead before Salter hoisted Weighell for six to bring up the 350 and another batting point