Embracing their motto and mission to ‘Make Wales Proud’ Glamorgan travel more than twice the distance of their opponents and Division Two leaders Lancashire to the Rhos-on-Sea ground in Colwyn Bay for their Specsavers County Championship match which begins on Sunday.
While Glamorgan have held Championship matches there since the 1960s, thanks in large part to the influence of Wilf Wooller, Colwyn Bay’s biggest contribution to the history of Glamorgan County Cricket Club has been made this century.
It was there in 2000 that Steve James, scoring 309 not out in a stand of 374 with Matthew Elliott against Sussex, became the county’s first-ever triple centurion.
That match also saw Glamorgan record their highest ever first-class score of 718 for three declared.
The ground also proved fruitful for James in the Championship-winning season of 1997, as he scored 162 against Nottinghamshire.
The 2015 clash was a high-scoring affair, as the visitors amassed 698 for five, with former Glamorgan captain Alviro Peterson scoring 286 and his partner Ashwell Prince scoring 261 in a third-wicket stand of 501.
Michael Hogan scored 57 in Glamorgan’s first innings as they responded with 348, before being skittled out for 193 following on, and losing by an innings and 157 runs.
The 2017 clash against Sussex provided high-class entertainment as Sussex batsman Ollie Robinson, on his return from injury, struck 41 from 37 balls as the visitors edged the match by one wicket, having reached their target of 208 after slumping to 160 for eight.
Stalwart Ian Bell stole the show for Warwickshire during last year’s fixture at Colwyn Bay, which ended in a draw, as he scored 204 in his side’s 503 all out. His mammoth knock came after a century in each innings (115 and 106) of the corresponding fixture at Edgbaston.
While Glamorgan have endured a poor Vitality Blast campaign, their promotion chase in the County Championship is very much alive.
In stark contrast to their form ahead of last year’s visit, when they had lost six of their previous seven matches, the Welsh side have only lost one out of ten matches this season, with three wins to their name.
They remain in joint second place with Gloucestershire, with only Lancashire ahead of them.
The visitors could include James Anderson in their line-up. The England paceman pulled up with a calf injury after just four overs of the first Ashes Test, ruling him out of the second Test at Lord’s.
With his eyes firmly on a return later in the series, the fixture would provide the ‘Burnley Express’ with an opportunity to prove his fitness and target Glamorgan’s top-order.
Written by Alun Rhys Chivers for the ECB Reporters Network