Despite a forthright 63 by Craig Meschede, Glamorgan were dismissed for 260 on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Kent at Canterbury. By the close, the home side had reached 124/0 (writes Andrew Hignell).
Close of Play Report
Resuming on 260/8, a Glamorgan wicket fell in the opening over of the session for the third time in the day, as Salter spliced a vicious rising delivery from Mitch Claydon with Adam Rouse, the wicket-keeper pouching the skied catch running round to leg gully. Claydon ended the innings two balls later as Harry Podmore, on his county debut, departed l.b.w. for 4.
There were 29 overs remaining as Daniel Bell-Drummond and Tom Latham began Kent’s reply against the new ball pairing of Craig Meschede and Michael Hogan. Latham opened his account with an off-driven four against Meschede, whilst Bell-Drummond clipped Hogan to deep square-leg. Latham added further boundaries to his tally as he guided Hogan to the vacant third man position before clipping Graham Wagg’s second delivery to the ropes at mid-wicket. Bell-Drummond cut and pulled Harry Podmore for further boundaries when the on-loan bowler from Middlesex entered the attack in the eleventh over.
A pair of leg-side boundaries by Bell-Drummond against Wagg saw the home side to the 50-mark before the opener guided both Podmore and Wagg through backward point, followed by three fours in successive deliveries from Wagg. Latham edged Podmore through the gully for four before laconically driving a no-ball from Wagg through mid-off. The Kiwi, who only arrived in the U.K. a few days ago, showed ni sign of jet-lag as he then punched Wagg off the back foot through the covers as Kent eased to 100 in the nineteenth over.
Bell-Drummond duly completed his fifty from 55 balls before glancing Andrew Salter’s first ball to fine-leg as Kent's opening pair continued to accumulate quietly with the only alarm coming in the penultimate over as Bell-Drummond survived a run out chance as a throw from Salter directly hit the stumps with the batsman diving full length.
Teatime update
Glamorgan began the afternoon session on 102/4 but as in the morning session, Matt Coles struck in the first over as he trapped David Lloyd l.b.w. Graham Wagg then struck the all-rounder for four, with the bowler then pulling up in his run-up as he sustained a foot injury and departed for treatment. Aneurin Donald then cover drove Darren Stevens for the first boundary of the session before Wagg garnered another by on-driving Stevens.
Donald then struck successive balls from Bernard for four to mid-wicket and through backward point, but he departed next ball as he pulled the debutant and Sean Dickson completed the catch inches from the ropes at square-leg. Craig Meschede announced his arrival by pulling and driving Bernard to mid-wicket for a pair of fours before straight-driving Stevens for four.
Wagg had a life a few overs later as Adam Riley at short extra-cover dropped a miscued drive, before Meschede was also fortunate to survive a much sharper chance at first slip as Sam Northeast parried a head-high edge. Wagg celebrated by clipping Stevens to mid-wicket, whilst Meschede glanced Claydon to fine-leg for four.
The pair continued to trade lusty blows as Meschede then greeted the introduction of Adam Riley’s off-spin by striking successive deliveries to long-on and long-off, whilst Wagg deposited Stevens to wide long-on for six, but the Kent all-rounder gained revenge as next ball, Wagg miscued another expansive drive into the hands of Dickson on the deep extra-cover boundary.
With Andrew Salter as his new partner, Meschede saw Glamorgan secure their first batting point as he pulled Stevens for four before twice repeating the stroke when Bernard returned to the fray as he completed a 67-ball fifty. Meschede celebrated with a coruscating cover drive against the young bowler before again lofting Riley over long-off for six.
After getting off the mark with a clip to square-leg, Andrew Salter on-drove Riley for a pair of fours but with the total on 242, Meschede’s feisty innings came to an end as he drilled Bernard to Northeast at mid-off
Lunch Update
None of the players in the latest issue of the Cricketer’s Who’s Who lists the study of oceanography as a leisure interest or hobby. But after the first month of the first-class season, perhaps more of the county professionals will be casting their eyes over geography textbooks following the unusual weather patterns during April which have led to a sizeable, and potentially significant, loss of playing time.
From a meteorological point of view, we are in an El Nino year - a term derived from the abnormal pattern of ocean currents off the western coast of Peru and Chile which trigger major changes to the distribution of rainfall in South America, as well as causing freak events elsewhere in the world.
During an El Nino year, disturbances also take place to the pattern of jet streams in the lower atmosphere, and according to the weather scientists, this is one of the reasons why the U.K. during April has experienced a sequence of intense frontal systems moving across the country from the Atlantic Ocean, followed by a blast of chilly Arctic air during the past week. In simple terms, in an El Nino year you can expect the unexpected, and this explains why at Derby and Leicester last week, the cricketers of Glamorgan and Kent – who meet today at Canterbury – were able to play snowballs on the outfield .
Kent have been one of the worst affected counties this season , having seen all four days of their opening match at Worcester washed out by a soggy outfield, followed by the loss of ten and a half hours play last week at Grace Road. In all, Kent have lost 72% of their playing time this year, and like other players, umpires and spectators alike, they will hoping that May brings plenty of sunshine and warm weather .
Glamorgan made one change to their side which drew with Derbyshire with Harry Podmore replacing Timm van der Gugten before Jacques Rudolph opted to bat first. Matt Coles then struck with the fourth delivery of the contest as James Kettleborough edged a rising delivery into the gloves of wicket-keeper Adam Rouse. The in-form Will Bragg then joined Rudolph and got off the mark with a pair of leg-glances.
Bragg added a few more singles to his tally as well as a flick to mid-wicket for three, but with the total on 22, Mitch Claydon struck in his second over as Bragg appeared to get a faint inside-edge as the ball cannoned onto his stumps. Chris Cooke then joined the obdurate Rudolph who had just a single to his name after an hour at the crease, with the new batsman striking the first boundary in the sixteenth over as he flicked Claydon to fine-leg. Two balls later, he drilled the seamer through extra cover before steering the next delivery through the slip cordon for third boundary in the over.
Rudolph then unfurled a silky-smooth cover drove against Darren Stevens before Cooke punched the 40 year-old through extra-cover. But with the total on 44, Rudolph edged Claydon into Rouse’s gloves as Kent claimed their first bowling point after eighteen overs. Cooke then brought up the fifty by on-driving Claydon for four before Aneurin Donald swatted the seamer high over the keeper’s head for four. He then steered Stevens through backward poi t for four before having a life as Joe Denly at third slip dropped a catch as the young tyro edged another front foot shot.
Cooke greeted the debutant Hugh Bernard by dispatching a short ball through cover for four before steering Coles through the gully and fine-leg for fours from successive deliveries. Donald also guided Bernard through point for four but with the total on 91 Cooke became another scalp for the wicket-keeper as he edged Coles into Rouse’s gloves. David Lloyd duly joined Donald shortly before the lunch interval with the latter cover-driving Coles for four.