Leg-spinner Josh Poysden took career-best figures of 5/29 as Glamorgan were dismissed for 220 on the first day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston. By the close, Glamorgan had also claimed two early wickets with the home side ending on 24/2.
Evening Update
Glamorgan were 171/5 at tea with the watchful Morgan unbeaten on 36, but he failed to add any further to his tally as he became another l.b.w. victim as he departed to Josh Poysden in the opening over of the session. David Lloyd then biffed Jeetan Patel to long-on for four before Andrew Salter began by pulling a long-hop from Poysden to the ropes at mid-wicket. But two balls later, the bowler gained revenge as Salter was caught at short mid-wicket attempting to repeat the stroke. 182/7 saw Ruaidhri Smith stride out to the middle and he began by square-cutting Patel for four.
It then became 190/8 as wicket-keeper Tim Ambrose snaffled what appeared to be a faint inside edge by Lloyd onto his pads against Patel. Ruaidhri Smith responded by lofting Patel to long-on before reverse-sweeping him for another boundary. Timm van der Gugten also did the same later in the over whilst Smith repeated the stroke next over against Poysden. Their aggression saw the return of Chris Wright at the Pavilion End, with van der Gugten edging the seamer for four through the slips.
But Poysden ended their little spree, and the Glamorgan innings with the total on 220, as firstly Smith departed l.b.w. after being struck on the boot trying to sweep the spinner before next delivery, Lukas Carey was bowled as he played a defensive stroke only for the ball to spin back onto his stumps, and shortly afterwards Poysden led his team off the field with career-best figures of 5/29.
Carey responded by clean bowling Will Rhodes with the first delivery of the Warwickshire innings before Dom Sibley struck the first boundary as he on-drove van der Gugten. Ian Bell then drove the Dutchman for four and three in successive balls through the covers but in his next over van der Gugten bowled Sibley as the home side slipped to 18/2. Salter had a brief spell towards the close at the City End and given today’s events he can expect plenty of action tomorrow.
Afternoon Update
Glamorgan began the post-lunch session on 65/3 as Keith Barker and Jeetan Patel resumed the bowling. The latter was swept for four by Owen Morgan, but the former – in his second over – removed Khawaja l.b.w as Cooke arrived at the crease with his team of 69/4, and it nearly became 69/5 as Dom Sibley at second slip dropped an edge from the visiting captain’s bat. He celebrated by reverse-sweeping Patel for four before square-driving Barker to the ropes, whilst the watchful Morgan steered Barker through the vacant gully for four.
Cooke found the ropes against as he drilled Patel through extra cover before threading a drive to wide long-on, whilst Morgan pulled a short ball from Chris Wright to fine-leg before sweeping Patel for four to bring up the 50-stand. Cooke greeted the return of Brookes by steering him for four but with the total on 126 he was adjudged l.b.w. to Josh Poysden’s first delivery as the leg-spinner replaced his captain at the City End. David Lloyd became Morgan’s new partner and he announced his arrival by crisply pulling and square-driving Brookes for a pair of fours before Morgan cover drove Poysden for four. Lloyd also pulled a long-hop from the wrist-spinner for four before cover-driving successive deliveries from Patel for four.
Lunchtime Report
This is the Welsh county’s first visit to the Birmingham ground since 2008, with wicket-keeper and vice-captain Chris Cooke – in the absence of the injured Michael Hogan - making his debut as the Welsh county’s leader. Even though Shaun Marsh is missing, there is still an Antipodean element in the Glamorgan side as, under Captain Cooke, Usman Khawaja makes his debut for the Welsh county with the Australian batsman acting as the locum for Marsh who is on international duty today with his country’s one-day team at Lord’s.
In all, there were five changes from Glamorgan’s last Championship match at Leicester in mid-May with Khawaja, Connor Brown, Ruaidhri Smith, Lukas Carey and Owen Morgan replacing Aneurin Donald, Marchant De Lange, Hogan, Marsh and Kiran Carlson, who is unavailable for this match because of university exams. But it was the same opening combination – Jack Murphy and Nick Selman – from Grace Road who made their way to the middle after Cooke had won the toss and had opted to bat first on a dry wicket which Warwickshire had used on Thursday for their day-night encounter with Worcestershire in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
Selman clipped the first ball of the innings from Keith Barker for four to fine-leg, whilst Murphy guided a no-ball from the left-armer to the vacant third man position. Selman found the ropes again as he clipped Chris Wright to square-leg, followed two balls later by a glorious punch through the covers for another boundary. Murphy also cover drove and leg-glanced Wright for a pair of elegant fours but with the total on 40, he departed l.b.w. to a full length delivery from Henry Brookes who had entered the attack at the Pavilion End.
Brown began with a cover driven four when Wright switched to the City End, but the bowler two overs later found the edge of Brown’s bat as Glamorgan lost their second wicket on 59. His departure heralded the arrival of Khawaja who edged his first ball just short of Jonathan Trott at first slip, with the former England batsman departed for treatment on his damaged digit. Without further addition to the score, Jeetan Patel removed Selman as the opener was caught by Sam Hain at short-leg as he prodded forward to the wily off-spinner.
Morgan duly joined Khawaja shortly before lunch