Glamorgan slipped to 172/8 at the close of the third day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire at The SSE SWALEC, leading the visitors by 93 runs (writes Andrew Hignell).
Close of Play Report
Aneurin Donald and Jacques Rudolph resumed after tea with Glamorgan on 48/3 with Clint McKay and Wayne White sharing the bowling duties. Rudolph drilled White through mid-off for four before Donald glanced McKay to fine-leg, with the fourth wicket pair opting for steady accumulation as they chiselled away at the deficit.
Donald brought up the 50-stand, and wiped off the arrears as he pulled White for four, before cutting Ben Raine over the head of the slip cordon. But their stand was broken as Shreck found the edge of Rudolph’s bat with O’Brien completing a regulation catch behind the stumps.89/4 saw David Lloyd make his way to the middle and he began with a sumptuous cover drive off his first delivery.
Donald then steered Raine through point for four before Lloyd repeated the stroke against Shreck, followed by a savage pull for four against the Cornishman. In Shreck’s next over, Lloyd was nearly caught by Raine diving full length at mid-wicket before Donald completed a 71-ball fifty by outsider edging the tall bowler through the slips for his sixth four. He added a seventh shortly afterwards off the inside edge as he attempted a drive against Raine.
Four wickets then tumbled in the space of thirteen balls with the nosedive starting as a mix-up in calling though saw Glamorgan slip to 130/5 as Lloyd was run out by Paul Horton running from slip to fine-leg as the North Walian attempted a second run. Next over, Donald’s assertive innings ended as he became O’Brien’s fourth victim of the innings as he edged Shreck into the Irishman’s gloves. Next over, Glamorgan two further wicket as both Craig Meschede and Mark Wallace departed l.b.w. to Raine.
Michael Hogan used the long handle to scythe a pair of fours in Shreck’s eleventh over as Glamorgan limped to the 150-mark before Wagg greeted the return of Wayne White by biffing him through cover for four, before doing the same to McKay when the Australian returned for the closing overs.Hogan replicated the shot in McKay's closing over
Teatime Update
Leicestershire had gone to lunch on 380/8 with Clint McKay unbeaten on 37, with both he and his partner Jigar Naik getting thick edges to balls from Timm van der Gugten and Craig Meschede which sped to the third man ropes. McKay then added another four by on-driving Meschede before completing a 71-ball fifty. He then saw his side to the 400-mark by pulling the all-rounder for four, followed by a lofted on-drive for another boundary.
He added further to his tally as he drilled Jacques Rudolph through the covers for four, but his jaunty innings ended as he drove Wagg into the hands of cover. 421/9 then became as 427 all out as Rudolph, who the previous over had seen Naik survive a stumping chance, trapped Charlie Shreck leg before.
With his side having a first innings deficit of 79, Rudolph then began Glamorgan’s second innings with James Kettleborough, and struck Raine for successive fours. But with the total on 16, McKay removed Kettleborough who edged a rising delivery into the wicket-keeper’s gloves and two balls later, Will Bragg chopped a ball from the Australian onto his stumps.
The newly-capped Chris Cooke then came in and majestically cover-drove Raine for four but a couple of deliveries later, he edged the bowler into O’Brien’s gloves as Glamorgan slipped to 29/3. Rudolph responded by clipping Raine for four to the mid-wicket ropes before Aneurin Donald repeated the stroke against Charlie Shreck.
Lunchtime Report
After two days of nip and tuck, this contest is finely balanced with Leicestershire 51 runs in arrears and with four first innings wickets remaining. Following the loss of fourteen overs last night to bad light, this morning’s play is set to become the pivotal session in deciding the outcome of what has been an enthralling game and one in which six batsmen so far have passed fifty, yet none have gone on to register a century.
When play began on time, Wayne White was a couple of boundaries away from becoming the seventh man to pass the 50-mark, and in the second over of the day, he cover drove Hogan for four as Leicestershire secured a further batting point. Tim van der Gugten duly returned to the attack and beat the outside edge on several occasions before being cover drive by White as he duly completed his half-century from 90 balls.
Shortly afterwards, White had a moment of good fortune as he inside-edged a drive against Hogan which just missed leg stump, but in the next over, the Australian trapped the all-rounder leg-before as Leicestershire slipped to 324/7. Clint McKay then despatched van der Gugten through the covers for four before chipping Graham Wagg over mid-on. Craig Meschede also returned at the Cathedral Road End and was clattered through the covers and to mid-wicket by McKay as the Australian used the long handle to club a trio of boundaries from successive balls.
Raine brought up the 350 by straight-driving Meschede, but next ball he feathered an edge into Mark Wallace’s gloves. McKay then swatted a short ball from Wagg to fine-leg before drilling through the covers for four. A series of singles saw Leicestershire reach 370/8 at the end of the 110th over – and the end of bonus points - as together with JIgar Naik, McKay saw his side to lunch.