Fifteen wickets tumbled on the opening day at Cardiff where Glamorgan, despite a forthright 60 by Chris Cooke, were dismissed for 137 shortly after lunch having been put in to bat by Gloucestershire on the opening day of their match in the Specsavers County Championship at Sophia Gardens. In reply, Gloucestershire also found batting quite difficult at times as they reached 133/5 at the close of play.
Evening Report
After a tricky period before tea, Benny Howell began with an assertive cover drive for four against Hogan as Gloucestershire continued to chisel away at the deficit. Hogan though found the edge of Howell’s bat with the ball dropping just short of Kieran Bull at second slip. The batsman made amends two overs later as he cover drove Hogan for four.
With the total on 77 van der Gugten was rewarded for his parsimony as firstly Chris Cooke completed a superb diving catch down the leg-side to end Bracey’s tenure of the crease, before four balls later the Dutchman trapped Gareth Roderick l.b.w. Howell responded by square-cutting Wagg for four before a series of singles with Jack Taylor, plus plenty of playing and missing, saw Gloucestershire reach three figures in the 42nd over. Wagg nearly had Taylor caught down the leg-side by Cooke whilst a mix-up in calling nearly saw Taylor run out by Cullen.
With the light becoming gloomy, Kieran Bull entered the attack at the River End, and was straight driven for six by Taylor. But in his second over, the off-spinner struck as Howell attempted to emulate his partner’s stroke and holed out to Hogan at long-on. 115/5 saw Higgins join Taylor and he began with a cover drive for four against Bull before doing the same to Wagg, much to the bowler’s displeasure. Higgins duly cover drove Bull yet again before Gloucestershire ended the day on 133/5.
Afternoon Update
Resuming on 109/6 after lunch, Ruaidhri Smith and Graham Wagg were faced by the left-arm duo of David Payne and Matt Taylor. Wagg struck the first boundary of the session as he drove Taylor through backward point, but with the total on 116, Smith edged Payne into Roderick’s gloves. One run later Timm van der Gugten chopped Taylor onto his stumps before Wagg drilled Taylor to long-on for a lusty four. However later in the over he miscued a repeat of the stroke and Jack Taylor running back from mid-on completed the catch.
122/9 saw Michael Hogan join Kieran Bull and he began by steering Taylor to the vacant third man position, before next over drilling him straight for four, followed by a top-edged pull for four, but Hogan’s innings ended in Payne’s next over as he edged another ball into Roderick’s gloves as Gloucestershire’s decision to bowl first was vindicated as Glamorgan were dismissed for 137.
Chris Dent and Miles Hammond began the visitor’s first innings as Timm van der Gugten and Michael Hogan opened the bowling. After a series of singles, Hammond cover-drove and pulled Hogan for fours with the ground now bathed in sunshine after the morning cloud .But Hogan’s accuracy was rewarded with the wicket of his opposite number as Dent departed l.b.w. with his side on 18.
James Bracey joined Hammond and clipped his first ball for four to fine-leg, but with the total on 27, Smith struck with his first delivery as Hammond became another batsman to depart l.b.w. His replacement Benny Howell was beaten by two of his first three deliveries as he groped forward before edging in front of third slip. Bracey then leg-glanced Smith for a second four before Howell straight drove Wagg for four.
In the penultimate over before tea, Bracey glanced Smith once again to fine-leg with the boundary bringing up Gloucestershire’s fifty before cover-driving the seamer.
Lunchtime Update
This is the fourth consecutive Championship match involving Glamorgan where the toss has been uncontested with Gloucestershire exerting their right to bowl first in the overcast conditions. The Welsh county fielded an unchanged side with Stephen Cook and Connor Brown opening the batting. The latter however departed in the fourth over as he was trapped leg before by Craig Miles with the total on 4. With Tom Cullen as his new partner, Cooke cover drove Miles, followed by an outside edge for three against the same bowler.
But with the total on 16 in the eighth over, Cullen shouldered arms to Miles and was bowled. This brought Kiran Carlson to the middle, no doubt hoping to emulate his achievements in the corresponding match, but he was trapped l.b.w. to his first delivery, bowled by David Payne as Gloucestershire gained their first bowling point after 8.2 overs.
Two overs later it became 17/4 as Cook was caught downside the legside by Roderick as he brushed a short rising ball from Miles. David Lloyd responded by clipping Payne to square-leg for four but two balls later he also departed leg before to a full length delivery from Payne as Glamorgan slipped further to 21/5.
Having been joined by Graham Wagg - who was playing his 150th first-class match - Chris Cooke drilled Miles three times in an over through extra-cover for four before driving Payne through mid-off for another crisply-struck four. He then brought up the fifty with another boundary as he square-drove Ryan Higgins. Wagg then greeted the appearance of Matt Taylor into the attack by pulling the left-armer for six over backward square-leg.
Cooke continued to find the ropes as he drove Taylor over extra-cover before swatting him through point to bring up the 50-stand. He then added another cover-driven four against Taylor which also took his career tally in first-class cricket to the 4,000-mark. He celebrated by punching Higgins through backward point for four before completing a 42-ball fifty by clipping Taylor to backward square-leg – his 11th boundary.
He duly greeted the return of Miles at the Cathedral Road End by swatting the right-armer through the gully for another four before Wagg glanced him to the boundary boards at fine-leg. Another on-drive by Wagg brought up the hundred before Cooke added another four by guiding Miles to third man. But on 60 his valiant efforts ended as Gareth Roderick took a tumbling catch as Miles claimed his fourth wicket with Glamorgan on 105/6