Glamorgan are 182/6 when bad light and rain ends play at Old Trafford

75,354 people were present yesterday at Old Trafford to watch a drawn game - I'm referring, of course to the Premier League football match involving Man Utd., as around 74,000 fewer people were at the cricket ground a mile or so away from the football stadium to watch what Glamorgan supporters hope will be a contest with a similar outcome. Their side start day three 414 runs in arrears, and despite overnight thunderstorms in the Manchester conurbation, play began on time with Jacques Rudolph and night-watchman Andrew Salter resuming with their side on 48/1.



But Glenn Chapple made an early incision as in his third over of the morning he had Rudolph caught behind. 57/2 saw Colin Ingram join Salter with the new batsman getting off the mark by guiding Kyle Jarvis to third man for four before despatching him through mid-off for another rasping boundary. Salter also pulled a short ball from Jarvis for four before Ingram did the same when James Faulkner entered the attack.


Salter then clipped Chapple for four to square-leg before driving Faulkner through the covers but with the total on 96 Ingram shouldered arms to Faulkner and had his off stump sent cartwheeling out of the ground. Chris Cooke duly joined Salter as the 100 came up in the 35^th over. By this time, Arron Lilley was operating at the Statham End with Salter lofting him over long-off for six.

The off-spinner then switched to the Statham End as left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan operated at the Pavilion End with Cooke steering him through point for four. But the left-armer ended Salter's stay at the crease shortly before lunch as he was stumped advancing down the wicket.

The Welsh county were 133/4 at lunch with David Lloyd playing a flowing cover drive in the final over of the morning session from Aaron Lilley as Glamorgan began the afternoon still 329 runs in arrears. Lloyd continued in assertive vein as he drilled Kerrigan through extra cover, whilst Chris Cooke also despatched Glen Chapple for four through the covers. But with the total on 149, Lloyd was bowled by Chapple as he inside-edged a ball onto his stumps as he played back to the veteran.


Mark Wallace got off the mark with some scampered singles before harpooning Kerrigan to the ropes at mid-wicket. With the cloud cover increasing, the floodlights went on an hour after lunch but the gloom did not appear to deter Cooke who despatched James Faulkner with aplomb when he returned at the Statham End. But the Australian gained revenge as on 182, Cooke departed l.b.w.


Wagg then joined Wallace with the all-rounder eager to add further to his first-class tally of runs and become the first new ball bowler for Glamorgan since the days of Wilf Wooller and Allan Watkins to also amass 1,000 runs in a season. But he did not get a chance to open his account as the light swiftly deteriorated and the umpires took the players off the field at 2.55pm with Glamorgan on 182/6.

With the players off the field at 3.10pm and early tea was taken, and shortly afterwards it started to rain quite heavily. The rain eased an hour later, raising prospects of an inspection at 4.45pm and a resumption soon afterwards.

But the precipitation returned and thwarted attempts of a resumption, with the umpires calling off play for the day shortly before 5.15pm.