After completing preparations to play Worcestershire over the Easter weekend, Head Coach Robert Croft has vowed that his team will not lack for effort after they lost against Northants in the opening game last week, writes Edward Bevan.
"It was disappointing in many areas," said Croft "I can assure you that there has been maximum effort put in during the past week in order to improve every aspect of the game.
"The preparation you put into the game, you don't envisage the result at the end of it. We'll be doing all we can to ensure a much-improved performance."
Although captain Jacques Rudolph admitted that he “got it wrong” after winning the toss and electing to bat first on a bowler friendly pitch, Glamorgan’s batsmen batted poorly in both innings, and that defeat was a true reflection of how they failed to cope with a competent, but by no means lethal, Northants attack.
Glamorgan are still without key players, due to various injuries, and although Michael Hogan’s sore hip has improved, his chances of playing in this first home championship game of the season hang in the balance. Graham Wagg is recovering from a minor operation, and should be fit within a few weeks, Timm Van Der Gugten’s shoulder is still not 100%, Ruaidhri Smith will be out of action for some time, while last season’s leading run scorer Will Bragg, will also miss this second game.
Despite the absence of their leading seam bowlers, the county are able to include the formidable opening attack of South African Marchant De Lange and 19yr old Lukas Carey, who captured seven wickets on his debut last season. They will be also hoping that David Lloyd will have recovered from a slight hamstring problem, which prevented him from bowling his medium pacers at Northampton.
“We have been working hard this week to rebuild confidence”, said Croft, ”and hope that it will be repaid with a much improved performance against Worcestershire."
The visitors, who Rudolph describes as “a competitive team to play against”, will be without England all- rounder Moeen Ali, who has been told to rest after a strenuous winter, but will be available for Worcestershire next week.
In the corresponding games last season, Worcestershire were well placed in Cardiff before rain prevented any play for the last two and a half days, before Glamorgan won the away game at New Road by 5 wickets after a century from Owen Morgan.