A record-breaking stand of 240 between Benny Howell (163) and James Bracey (156) underpinned Gloucestershire’s total of 399/8 declared on the third day of their rain-affected Specsavers County Championship match against Glamorgan at The SSE SWALEC. By the close of play, Glamorgan had extended their lead to 106 to set up the prospect of an interesting final day tomorrow.
Evening Update
Gloucestershire began the evening session on 294/4 and Phil Mustard was swiftly into his stride as he cover drove the first ball from Ruaidhri Smith for four, before Bracey added successive fours later in the over, followed by a cover drive in Hogan’s opening over after tea. Mustard then spliced the Australia through the gully for four before swatting de Lange through point, but next ball Nick Selman took a fine catch diving to his left at first slip to send the visiting captain back to the pavilion.
352/4 saw Jack Taylor join Bracey and he announced his arrival by straight-driving de Lange for four. Bracey also pulled the Protea for four before drilling successive balls from Meschede through cover for crisply-struck boundaries en route to a maiden 150 from 265 balls. But by this time he had lost Taylor as the spinner edged Meschede into the slips where the diving Selman parried the ball to Colin Ingram.
Kieran Noema-Barnett duly joined Bracey and began by guiding Meschede to third man for four, but he soon departed as he was bowled by De Lange. 384/6 saw David Payne make his way to the middle with Bracey adding further to his boundary tally by slashing a short ball from de Lange through point. But with a further batting point looming, the young student opened his shoulders but miscued an expansive drive to Lukas Carey, fielding as substitute for the inured Aneurin Donald at mid-off.
390/7 then became 396/8 in the 110th over as Josh Shaw chipped Meschede to Carlson at short mid-wicket, before Matt Taylor flayed the final ball just short of the ropes before Gloucestershire declared on 399/8, leaving Glamorgan with a lead of 43 runs and fifteen overs to negotiate in the early evening sunshine.
Connor Brown began in positive vein twice punching Matt Taylor off the back foot through extra cover before slashing him over point, but in the third over he was bowled by Payne as Salter joined Selman. He began by guiding Payne to the ropes at third man before Selman drilled the left-armer to long-on for three. Salter also off-drove both Payne and Matt Taylor for four before Selman scored a brace of two’s, all to backward square-leg in Payne’s next over.
Salter then brought up the 50 by again drilling Taylor through mid-off before Selman clipped Shaw through the covers. In the final over of the day Salter drilled Shaw to square-leg for four as Glamorgan ended on 63/1.
Afternoon Update
Play began at 12.40pm with 80 overs remaining and Benny Howell four runs short of his second Championship hundred. He duly reached his personal landmark to the day’s fourth ball as he clipped Craig Meschede to mid-wicket. He then celebrated his 142-ball century by cover-driving Michael Hogan – a rare shot in anger against the parsimonious red ball captain.
James Bracey then hooked Hogan through the hands of Meschede at long-leg to complete a 119-ball fifty before benefitting from another mis-field on the cover boundary as Carlson, like a rugby scrum-half, knocked the ball on and over the ropes after it had been flicked up to him by a diving Aneurin Donald.
Howell then greeted the return of Marchant de Lange by cutting him through point as well as pulling him for four, just out of the reach of Connor Brown at fine-leg. There was nothing fortuitous though next over about a coruscating four through the covers against the pace bowler before a rasping square-cut for four against Smith. Howell also greeted the return of Andrew Salter by steering the off-spinner to the ropes at extra cover.
Their stand became worth 200 as Bracey launched Salter over long-off for six before cover-driving him for four. Connor Brown’s off-spin was then introduced with the teenager steered through point by Howell as he completed his 150. Bracey then drove him to mid-wicket to complete his maiden first-class hundred before the stand became Gloucestershire’s best for the second wicket against Glamorgan beating the one between Alf Dipper and Harry Smith who added 233 at Swansea in 1921.
Glamorgan then took the new ball as Hogan and de Lange returned to the fray with the latter being swatted to third man by Howell. But shortly afterwards Hogan ended the stand as Howell departed l.b.w. for a career-best 163 and 293/2 then became 293/3 as George Hankins was bowled second ball.
Morning Report
September 20th was already a key date in the history of Glamorgan County Cricket Club, and with yesterday being the 20th anniversary of the Welsh county’s most recent Championship title success, achieved in a never to be forgotten day at Taunton, events at the SSE SWALEC nearly saw Kiran Carlson become the youngest-ever Glamorgan batsman to score a double-hundred in Championship cricket for the Welsh county.
Having batted for over seven hours the Cardiff-born cricketer was nine runs away from the 200 landmark when he was the last wicket to fall in Glamorgan’s season’s best first innings total of 442. With few terrors in the surface, Benny Howell then enjoyed himself on the benign wicket during the afternoon session and ended the foreshortened day just four runs of his second Championship century as Gloucestershire closed on 161/1 and with a deficit of 281 runs.
There has not though been a chance for the visitors to further reduce the deficit this morning as heavy overnight rain followed by blustery showers this morning have delayed the start of the days proceedings. After an inspection at 11.30am, it was decided to take lunch at 12noon and to start at 12.40pm with 80 overs remaining in the day's quota.