Craig Meschede top-scored with an unbeaten 53 as Glamorgan were dismissed for 203 shortly before tea after being invited to bat first by Warwickshire in their Specsavers County Championship match at Colwyn Bay. In reply, Warwickshire had reached 116/3 by the close
Evening Report
When play resumed after tea, Hogan was soon back in action as he opened the bowling with Smith. Will Rhodes began by on-driving and leg-glancing Smith. With Dominic Sibley taking root at the other end, Rhodes leg-glanced Smith for another four, but Meschede then replaced Smith at the Penrhyn Avenue End and with his first delivery trapped Sibley l.b.w. Ian Bell made his way to the middle with the visitors on 23/1. He began by outside edging the all-rounder to third man.
Rhodes then struck three successive deliveries from Hogan for four in an arc from mid-wicket to square-leg, before Bell off-drove Meschede for another four. Graham Wagg then replaced Hogan at the Embankment End and removed Rhodes with his third delivery as the opener edged into Cooke’s gloves. Bell then cover drove Meschede before Trott clipped Wagg to the boards at mid-wicket. Trott then cover drove and on-drove Meschede before edging him through the slips for another boundary.
Bell – who scored hundreds in each innings against Glamorgan at Edgbaston earlier in the season – looked to still be in prime form as he greeted the introduction of Andrew Salter’s off-spin by cover-driving and on-driving him for a pair of effortless fours. He was fortunate enough next over to edge the spinner just out of the grasp of Nick Selman at slip.
After several overs of seam, Wagg reverted to his slower guise before Smith returned for a closing salvo. The change did the trick as Trott sparred at a ball outside off stump with Selman at second slip completing the catch. With Warwickshire on 106/3, Bell was joined by night-watchman Chris Wright who opened his account by nonchalantly clipping Hogan for four to mid-wicket.
Afternoon update
After a torrid time first thing against the swinging ball in the cloudy and damp conditions, Glamorgan’s batsmen had reached 101/4 by lunch, and Chris Cooke began in assertive vein after the interval straight diving Barker for four followed by a cover drive against Jeetan Patel. But Lloyd then edged Barker to third slip where Ian Bell caught the ball chest high to his right.
113/5 duly saw the arrival of Graham Wagg but after on-driving Barker for three he departed l.b.w. to Patel. With Craig Meschede as his new partner, Cooke cover-drove Barker for a further boundary before drilling Ollie Stone off the back foot through extra-cover. Meschede then lofted Patel into Penrhyn Avenue for six whilst Cooke added another four to his tally by pulling Stone to the ropes at mid-wicket.But the pace bowler made amends as he bowled Cooke for 31 as Glamorgan slipped further to 142/7.
Meschede responded by twice clipping Wright to mid-wicket followed by a thick outside edge to third man for four. With the total on 162 Stone re-arranged Andrew Salter’s stumps. Ruaidhri Smith began by clipping Wright to mid-wicket but in his next over Stone struck again as Ian Bell at third slip took a head high catch. Meschede again found the ropes as he pulled Wright for a pair of legside boundaries before edging the seamer to third man and clipping him to fine-leg for further fours en route to a 57 ball fifty.
With doughty support from Michael Hogan, they took the total past 200, courtesy of four leg-byes, to secure a batting point but with the total on 203 Patel bowled Hogan.
Lunchtime Report
With Lukas Carey ruled out with an ankle injury, Graham Wagg returned to the Glamorgan side for his first appearance in the County Championship since July last summer when the Welsh county were defeated by Gloucestershire at Cheltenham College. Warwickshire exerted their right as the visiting team not to have a toss and to bowl first in the overcast conditions following early morning drizzle at the home of Colwyn Bay CC and a slight delay to with the match starting a quarter of an hour late at 11.15pm.
Jack Murphy and Nick Selman duly faced the bowling of Keith Barker and Ryan Sidebottom. After a couple of singles, Jack Murphy twice steered Sidebottom through the vacant gully for four, but with the total on 10, Selman feathered a catch into wicket-keeper Tim Ambrose’s gloves. With Connor Brown as his new partner, Murphy square-cut Barker for another boundary before Brown punched the left-armer through backward for four.
Murphy then again nurdled Sidebottom to third man but next delivery he edged the Anglo-Australian into Ambrose’s gloves. 28/2 saw Carlson join Brown and he was soon into his stride as he cover drove and on drove Sidebottom for four and three. Brown then had a life as the wicket-keeper failed to cling onto another edge in front of first slip, but the spill did not prove too costly as Ambrose made amends in Ollie Ston’s opening over as Brown departed with the total on 38 with Warwickshire gaining a bowling point after fifty minutes play.
Chris Wright then replaced Sidebottom at the Penrhyn Avenue End before Lloyd pulled Stone for four. Carlson also nurdled Wright to third man, before unfurling a pair of high-class off-drove for four against Wright. Carlson also guided Wright to third man for four but he departed in Jeetan Patel’s opening over as he was bowled attempting a square-cut.