31 Mar 2016 | Cricket
Glamorgan ended the first day of their three-day friendly against Somerset at The SSE SWALEC on 75/0 after an unbeaten 131 from Jim Allenby had allowed the visitors to declare on 323/7.
After the rain of the past few days, play began on time at 11am with Chris Rogers opting to bat first after winning the toss. Glamorgan - in the shape of Graham Wagg and Ruaidhri Smith - delivered a frugal new ball spell with the former removing Marcus Trescothick with his eighth delivery as the veteran opener edged to third slip where Aneurin Donald took a fine low catch diving forward
Rogers then struck the first boundary of the day as he guided Wagg square of the wicket, before Tom Abell twice guided Smith to the third man boundary for four, followed by a neat flick off his legs for four to square-leg. Rogers had a moment of good fortune as he scythed Wagg in the air over the slip cordon. With the total on 26, Smith was rewarded for his accuracy as he trapped Abell leg before.
James Hildreth announced his arrival by clipping Smith to square-leg for four before off-driving Smith for a second boundary. He then greeted the introduction of David Lloyd by twice on-driving him to wide long-on as the fifty came up in the 14th over. Nine runs later, Rogers, who had become somewhat becalmed at the other end, became the third wicket to fall as he edged an expansive drive against Lloyd into Mark Wallace's safe gloves.
59/3 then became 59/4 as five balls later Craig Meschede trapped Hildreth leg before. Jim Allenby began with a glide to third man against Lloyd but with the total on 73, Somerset lost their fifth wicket as Dewi Penrhyn Jones struck in his first over as he clean bowled Peter Trego. Allenby then struck successive fours against Lloyd as he clipped him to deep mid-wicket and wide long-on.
Allenby then greeted the introduction of Lukas Carey by clipping the teenager to mid-wicket for four before surviving a loud appeal for leg before against the Academy product. Ryan Davies duly brought up the hundred by cover-driving Penrhyn Jones for four - the first of four boundaries in an over which the former Kent wicket-keeper plundered from the flame-haired bowler.
With Somerset resuming after lunch on 122/5, Jim Allenby struck the first boundary of the session as he pulled Smith for four before edging the same bowler through the slip cordon. Davies also began in assertive vein as he cover drove and on-drove Smith for a pair of rasping fours before steering Wagg through backward point. But with the total on 157, Mark Wallace took a fine diving catch as he snaffled a leg glance from Davies in Wagg's fourth over of the afternoon.
Allenby then edged Smith through a vacant third slip before completing a 61-ball fifty by pulling Smith. He celebrated by cutting Smith for four, before Lewis Gregory glanced Meschede to the ropes at fine-leg. Allenby greeted the return of Lloyd by driving him for a pair of fours through the covers and mid-off, before drilling Meschede through extra cover.
Gregory also off-drove Meschede for four to bring up the 200 before despatching Lloyd through the covers for another boundary. Allenby then struck Andrew Salter for successive fours when the off-spinner entered the attack in the 49th over and had a spell in tandem with teenage leg-spinner Sam Pearce. Allenby deftly late-cut the youngster for four before glancing him to fine-leg en route to a hundred from 101 balls as he harpooned Salter for six. But by the time he reached three figures he had lost Gregory who was stumped by Wallace as he advanced down the wicket to Salter with the total on 243.
Having reached 259/7 at tea, Somerset's eighth wicket pairing of Allenby and Craig Overton continued to plunder runs with the latter pulling Lukas Carey for six over mid-wicket whilst the former pulled and swept successive deliveries from Salter for four and six. Overton used the long handle to club leg-side boundaries against Carey whilst Allenby also reverse-swept Salter for four before Somerset declared on 323/7 from 63 overs.
Overton was soon back in action, with the new ball as he opened the bowling at the River End with James Kettleborough and Mark Wallace starting Glamorgan's reply. The latter duly struck the first boundary of the innings as he clipped Tim Groenewald to square-leg for four before the former on-drove Overton to the ropes in front of the pavilion. Kettleborough also on drove with aplomb as Peter Trego entered the attack before Wallace greeted the introduction of Allenby by twice cover-driving his former team-mate.
After the fifty had come up in the 15th over, Wallace greeted the return of Overton by swatting him through point for four followed next over by a sweetly-timed cover drive