Glamorgan draw with Derbyshire at Cardiff

With rain still falling over Glamorgan's headquarters at 11am, the umpires - Alex Wharf and Nigel Cowley - decided to delay the start of the final day of this contest which has already seen eleven and three-quarter hours of play being lost to the weather.

The rain eased shortly after the scheduled start time and after a series of inspections throughout the morning, the umpires called for an early lunch and after an inspection at 12.30pm, it was agreed that play would commence at 1.25pm with 68 overs remaining in the day's quota..

After the rain yesterday and this morning, play began at 1.25pm with 68 overs remaining in the day's quota as Ben Slater and Chesney Hughes began the Derbyshire second innings that had been prevented from starting last night by bad light and then rain. Andy Carter and Michael Hogan shared the new ball as Glamorgan strove to make an early breakthrough in the blustery conditions. Both batsmen secured boundaries from thick edges off Hogan before the tall pace bowler struck with the total on 20 as he trapped Hughes l.b.w. with a ball which appeared to keep low.


Dean Cosker entered the attack in the seventh over before Craig Meschede entered the fray in the twelfth and was cut to backward point by Wayne Madsen. Slater also square cut a delivery from Cosker for four but he then pulled the next delivery straight into Colin Ingram's hands at short mid-wicket as Derbyshire slipped to 32/2.


Scott Elstone then joined forces with Madsen and steered Meschede through backward point for four. With the strong wind making bowling difficult, Elstone steered a short ball from Cosker through the covers before Jacques Rudolph entered the fray for a brief spell of leg-spin before Graham Wagg - who needs two more wickets for 350 scalps in all first-class cricket had a spell at the Cathedral Road End during which he was cut and pulled by Elstone who moved fluently towards his half-century, reached with another cut behind square against the left-armer - his 65^th delivery - as Derbyshire's lead moved on past the 200-mark.


With the wind still blowing like something in the Roaring Forties, Will Bragg also had a spell at the River End shortly before tea as the game moved towards a draw.

On a day when a further 28 overs were lost to rain, and the wicket remaining benign, the match moved towards a watery draw as Derbyshire batted out the two sessions which were possible in blustery conditions.

Having reached 141/2 at tea, Wayne Madsen and Scott Elstone continued their third wicket stand after the interval with Madsen lofting Cosker to long-off for four en route to a 112-ball half-century before being struck on the wrist by a short ball from Michael Hogan which resulted in the visiting captain requiring treatment from the Derbyshire physiotherapist. It had the desired effect as he steered the next delivery to point for four before next over dancing down the wicket and lofting Cosker for another straight four.

Elstone also swept Cosker for four as he moved onto a career-best Championship score before he celebrated by planting the spinner to the ropes at mid-wicket for four followed by an on-drive for six into the seating at the River End. He then reached his maiden first-class century by cover-driving Dean Cosker for four - his ninth boundary from 131 balls - whereupon Derbyshire declared as the players shook hands shortly before 5pm.