A remarkable day at Grace Road has so far seen Leicestershire dismissed before lunch for 96 with an outstanding spell of 5/10 in the space of 21 balls by Timm van der Gugten prior to the Welsh county being dismissed for 199 with KIran Carlson unbeaten on 74. By the close, the home side were 78/0 in their second innings
Evening Report
Mark Wallace had departed to the last ball before tea, so when Kiran Carlson and Owen Morgan began after the interval they were looking to extend Glamorgan’s lead of 56. But Morgan departed to the third ball of session as he was bowled by Dieter Klein before Timm van der Gugten was trapped leg before to the fifth as Glamorgan slipped to 155/8.
Michael Hogan used the long handle to swat balls to point and third man for two and four before Carlson completed a 56-ball fifty. Hogan then drilled Dexter on the up through mid-off before Carlson whipped Klein behind square-leg for another well-timed boundary.
The teenager then swatted the South African over the head of mid-wicket for four before deftly late-cutting Ben Raine for four. Hogan then steered Clint McKay through point for four before pulling the next into the hands of deep mid-wicket. With the total on 191/9, Lukas Carey joined Carlson who continued to find the ropes as he pulled Raine for another four but with the total on 199 – and one run short of a bonus point, McKay yorked Carey.
There were 21 overs remaining in the day’s quota as Leicestershire began their second innings 103 runs in arrears as Paul Horton and Angus Robson faced Timm van der Gugten. The latter was drilled through extra cover by Robson before Horton pulled the former to mid-wicket. When Craig Meschede entered the attack at the Bennett End he was glanced to square-leg by Horton for another boundary before Robson cut successive balls from van der Gugten for four when the Dutchman switched to the Pavilion End.
Horton brought up the fifty with a flick to square-leg against Hogan before Robson cover drove van der Gugten to further whittle away at the deficit. The last half an hour saw Owen Morgan having a trundle at the Bennett End, and Kiran Carlson having a short spell at the Pavilion End as Leicestershire ended on 78/0.
Teatime update
After the dramatic events of the pre-lunch session, Glamorgan were looking to consolidate their position and build a healthy lead as Jacques Rudolph and Nick Selman began the Welsh county’s reply against the slingy left-arm pace of Dieter Klein and the nagging right-arm seam of Clint McKay, the veteran Australian. Rudolph began with a clip off his legs for four against Klein but in the sixth over he was bowled playing forward to McKay.
16/1 saw the arrival of Will Bragg with Selman adding further to his tally by punching Klein off the back foot through cover. Bragg then greeted the appearance of Charlie Shreck into the attack by lofting him over extra cover and through mid-wicket for a pair of three’s. Selman also clipped Ben Raine for three through mid-wicket when the all-rounder entered the attack.
Bragg brought up the fifty in the 17th over as he glanced Shreck to fine-leg for four before on-driving Raine. Selman added another three as he cover drove Shreck but shortly afterwards the tall bowler removed Bragg as he edged a ball into Ned Eckersley’s gloves. 63/2 then became 63/3 as next over Selman edged Raine to first slip.
Kiran Carlson began by drilling Raine through mid-off as well as clipping him to the ropes at long-leg. Donald also found the ropes by on-driving Raine and perfectly bisecting the two men stationed at short mid-wicket before punching the seamer through point for a pair of firmly struck boundaries, as well as steering him over the slip cordon
Carlson brought up the Glamorgan 100 by off-driving Neil Dexter’s opening delivery for four as sun broke through the cloud cover for the first time in the day. The youngster added another cover drive later in the over before Donald added two himself during Shreck’s next over as their stand serenely passed the 50-mark. Carlson celebrated by biffing Dexter again through extra cover but later in the over, the all-rounder responded by bowling Donald.
124/4 saw Craig Meschede make his way to the middle and he enjoyed good fortune early in his innings as he edged Klein just wide of first slip with the ball scuttling away for four. Carlson also dispatched successive deliveries from the Springbok through extra cover for four before Meschede flicked Dexter to fine-leg for four.
But two balls later, Dexter struck again as Meschede edged into the wicket-keeper’s glove before in the final over of the session the same combination accounted for Mark Wallace as the 16th wicket of the day fell in the 64th over on the straw-coloured surface.
Lunchtime update
Whilst most attention amongst the media is split between the Division One contests at Lord’s and Taunton, the focus for Glamorgan’s supporters is on Grace Road where the Welsh county play their final four-day contest of the season. After their wholehearted victory last Thursday against Essex in sweltering conditions at Chelmsford, Glamorgan made one change to their line-up with Lukas Carey returning in place of David Lloyd and opting to bowl first on the straw-coloured surface and under a heavy cloud cover.
Timm van der Gugten and Michael Hogan shared the new ball with the latter striking in his second over with the total on 8 as Angus Robson edged into the slip cordon where Nick Selman pouched a smart catch moving low to his left. Neil Dexter announced his arrival by cover-driving the Australian and then flicking thenext ball to fine-leg.
Paul Horton then guided van der Gugten to third man for another boundary before working a series of singles with his new partner. Craig Meschede then replaced van der Gugten at the Bennett End and had a couple of shouts for l.b.w. turned down in his opening over before being driven through extra cover for four by Horton. But in his next over Meschede struck as Dexter under-cut a delivery onto his stumps.
37/2 then became 41/3 as van der Gugten switched to the Pavilion End and had an l.b.w. appeal upheld against Horton as Glamorgan secured their first bowli g point after an hour’s play. Mark Cosgrove, Glamorgan’s Player of the Year in 2010, duly came in to face the Club’s award-winner for 2016 and opened his account by flicking the Dutchman to long-leg.
But with the total on 49, van der Gugten claimed his 49th wicket of the summer as he had Ned Eckersley caught behind, and with his next delivery, the same combination accounted for Mark Pettini as the Dutchman reached his landmark of 50 wickets in his debut season. He celebrated three balls later with a superb on-handed catch in his follow through after finding the leading edge of Cosgrove’s bat.
Leicestershire’s nosedived continued to 55/7 as van der Gugten claimed his fifth wicket as he bowled Harry Deardon. It then became 64/8 as Lukas Carey entered the attack and removed Ben Raine who spooned a catch to mid-off which Jacques Rudolph completed. The youngster then trapped Dieter Klein l.b.w. before Charlie Shreck used the long handle to plunder a couple of boundaries.
But Hogan returned at the Pavilion End and ended the innings as Shreck speared a ball into Kiran Carlson’s hands at third man as Leicestershire were dismissed for 96 with van der Gugten returning Championship-best figures of 5/52, This was also the first time since 2014 that Glamorgan had skittled a team for under 100 with the previous occasion being at The Kia Oval when Graham Wagg claimed 6/29 as Surrey were dismissed for 81.