Glamorgan beat Leicestershire by 137 runs

Michael Vaughan was England's cricket captain, Ken Livingstone was the Mayor of London and the English football team were knocked out of the European Championships by Portugal on penalties - all events from June 2004 when Glamorgan last won four successive matches in the County Championship. Today, they stand seven wickets away from equalling the Club record of four consecutive victories in a season, achieved in 1946, 1948, 1949, 1959, 1968, 200 and 2004.


However, at lunchtime yesterday, such a record-equalling feat seemed a long way away, but after an outstanding innings by Jacques Rudolph, who occupied the crease for five and a quarter hours, some late resistance by Andrew Salter and Michael Hogan helped to turn the game on its head, as the last four wickets added 193 runs in 35.1 overs to leave Leicestershire a target of 324 from a minimum of 126 overs on the worn surface.


Three wickets had already been lost, including that of the talismanic Mark Cosgrove by the time that play resumed at 11am this morning with the visitors on 75/3 and needing a further 249 runs to impose a first defeat of the summer on the Welsh county. In contrast, Glamorgan needed seven further wickets to record their fourth successive win and to maintain their spot in third place in the Division Two table,


Wickets started to tumble early on the final day's play as Michael Hogan and Andrew Salter resumed the bowling duties with the latter bowling Jigar Naik, the night-watchman, with his fourth delivery of the morning. Matthew Boyce then glanced Hogan to fine-leg before edging him just short of second slip whilst Andrea Agathangelou began with a couple of singles against the spinner before also clipping Hogan to fine leg. Next delivery, he was turned around by the seamer and almost spliced a catch to the gully, and three balls later he edged a pull against the Australian into Wallace's safe gloves as Leicestershire slipped further to 86/5.


But there was greater resistance as Niall O'Brien joined Boyce, despite playing and missing several times against Hogan. Boyce duly swept Salter for four before.the off-spinner then changed ends with Graham Wagg, in left-arm spin mode briefly appearing at the River End, before Colin Ingram's leg-spin was employed. After some watchful reconnaissance, O'Brien cover drove a full toss from Ingram whilst Boyce completed his patient fifty from 121 balls. O'Brien then edged Salter for four through the slips as he attempted a flamboyant drive.


Wagg then returned in his usual style at the Cathedral Road End, but Ingram continued at the River End and ended Boyce's stoic resistance as he propped forward to the spinner and was caught by Chris Cooke at silly point. 138/6 saw Tom Wells join O'Brien but it proved to be a brief pairing as three runs later, Wells chopped Wagg onto his stumps.

Leicestershire resumed after lunch on 158/7 still 166 runs adrift of their notional target, whilst the Welsh county were three wickets away from their fourth successive victory in the four-day competition as Craig Meschede and Colin Ingram sharing the bowling duties. O'Brien caressed Meschede through extra cover for four but next over the all-rounder clean bowled Ben Raine as Leicestershire lost their eighth wicket on 165. Clint McKay announced his arrival by squirting a ball from Meschede just wide of third slip before flicking him to fine-leg.


With the total on 184/8 Andy Carter returned to the attack and with his first delivery he had O'Brien caught behind before with his last delivery of the over having Chralie Shreck l.b.w. as Leicestershire were dismissed for 186 to give Glamorgan victory by 137 runs.


Whilst today's victory equals the Club record for successive wins in Championship matches, it is yet to equal the Club's most successful sequence in first-class cricket, coincidentally recorded in Ashes summers. In June 1948 when Don Bradman's Invincibles were visiting the country, Glamorgan won five out of six matches, whilst in 1968 - the summer when the Welsh county beat the Australians at Swansea - Tony Lewis' side recorded a sequence where they won 9 out of 11 matches. Glamorgan's term of 2015 are also a long way away from emulating the achievements of their counterparts in 1969 and 70 who went 29 games without defeat.