Glamorgan draw with Gloucestershire

Yesterday was Schools Day at the Bristol ground with hundreds of schoolchildren and their teachers from local primary schools. They witnessed a sparkling century from Ben Wright and saw an object lesson in crease occupation from fellow centurion Jacques Rudolph and the other batsmen in Glamorgan's middle order as the Welsh county amassed their highest-ever total in first-class cricket at the Bristol.


With clear blue skies over the ground and no threat of weather interruption, Glamorgan continued their first innings for twenty minutes this morning as the already weary Gloucestershire attack took to the field yet again with the Welsh county on 569/7. Matt Taylor again bowled short in four fielders placed on the leg-side boundary as both Ruaidhri Smith and Dean Cosker scored their first runs with pulls, before Cosker pulled Norwell, who was also bowling around the wicket with four men on the leg-side ropes, to the mid-wicket boundary before edging through a vacant slip cordon for another four.


After Taylor had been no-balled for too many short balls in his second over, Cosker collected two leg-side fours against Norwell as he pulled the flame-haired seamer before inside-edging him to long-leg. Smith then completed his maiden Championship fifty with a rasping cover drive for four against Taylor. He celebrated by swatting a six high over the ropes at mid-wicket whereupon Glamorgan declared on 615/7, as for only the fifth time in the Club's history they had made over 600 with their mammoth score being their second highest against the West Country side and surpassed only by their total of 647-7 declared made at the Cheltenham Festival in 2006.


The Glamorgan fielders duly took to the field with a minimum of 89 overs remaining in the contest before Chris Dent edged the first ball from Michael Hogan for four through the slips. Will Tavare opened his account in similar fashion against Graham Wagg who appeared to be feeling better this morning after being struck on the back of the head last night whilst batting.


Both batsmen played and missed several times whilst Tavare - after surviving a loud appeal for caught behind in Wagg's opening over and then an l.b.w. shout in the next - despatched Hogan through the covers for four. Dent also nearly edged Hogan to Cosker in the gully before the left-arm spinner entered the attack in the eighth over with Wagg also replacing Hogan at the Ashley Down End.


It proved to be a productive switch as Dent edged the left-armer to Jim Allenby at first slip as Gloucestershire lost their first wicket on 26. Alex Gidman also played and missed early on against Wagg before Tavare welcomed the introduction of Smith into the attack by twice guiding him to third man. But with the total on 40 Wagg removed Gidman who sparred at a short ball and edged to Jacques Rudolph at second slip. Nine runs later, the Springbok took a brilliant one-handed catch diving low to his left as Hamish Marshall edged Allenby's first delivery

Resuming on 49/3, Gloucestershire were looking for the second match in succession to Ian Cockbain to dig them out of trouble on the final afternoon and to save the game. The West Country side began the session still 175 runs in arrears whilst the opposition had their tails up with Michael Hogan, their talismanic fast bowler returning to the attack at the Ashley Down End whilst Jim Allenby continued at the Pavilion End. Cockbain opened his account by cover driving Allenby, who bowled a probing spell before being replaced by Andrew Salter.


Cockbain also cover drove the young off-spinner before Will Tavare greeted Wagg's return by despatching him through extra cover. Cockbain also drilled the left-armer through mid-wicket before Wagg bowled an over at Tavare with a remarkable field setting with all nine fielders on the off-side. Salter then switched to the Ashley Down End and bowled in tandem with Cosker, with the pair delivering a sequence of fifty seven dot balls as the home batsmen stoutly defended before Tavare cover drove Salter.


Hogan then returned at the Pavilion End as the visitors strove to break the stubborn stand. The two batsmen though continued to watchfully defend as the overs ticked away without Glamorgan making further inroads. Another sequence of dot balls was ended as Cockbain pulled a long-hop from Salter to the ropes at mid-wicket before Ruaidhri Smith also had a short spell at the Ashley Down End with Tavare cover-driving the youngster. However, it was the wrist spin of Jacques Rudolph which ended the stand as Cockbain edged to Allenby at slip with the total on 93.

With the home side on 103/4 and just 34 overs remaining after tea, it was going to take a remarkable spell of bowling, and a dramatic collapse to prevent the game ending all square at 5pm and the start of the final hour. Opening batsman Will Tavare had already set his stall out by defending 162 balls in ekeing out 40, something that Chris Tavare - his uncle - and a noted stonewaller would have approved.

After his success before the interval Jacques Rudolph continued with his leg-spin whilst Ruaidhri Smith resumed at the Ashley Down End, and with his second delivery of the session, the latter ended Tavare's limpet-like innings as he edged a rising delivery into the gloves of Mark Wallace.


His departure saw Benny Howell join Will Gidman who nearly chipped a ball from Rudolph to short-leg. Gidman then reverse-swept Rudolph before pulling a full toss for four, followed by a thick outside edge off Smith which sped away to the ropes at third man. Dean Cosker also had a further spell at the Pavilion End, but the two batsmen held firm.


Glamorgan kept ringing the changes as Jim Allenby and Andrew Salter had a spell after the start of the final hour. In a final throw of the dice, Michael Hogan and Ruaidhri Smith returned with the new ball, and nine overs remaining, but Gidman and Howell were able to complete their fifty stand with Gidman also unleashing a couple of cover drives before the players shook hands with five overs remaining as the contest ended in a draw with Gloucestershire on 165/5.