Glamorgan are 16/1 at the close of the third day of their Specsavers County Championship match at New Road, chasing a target of 277 to win after Worcestershire were dismissed for 393 after some tail-end resistance with Graham Wagg taking seasons best figures of 5/90 and Lukas Carey holding a one-handed wonder catch running along the boundary’s edge.
Close of Play Report
Worcestershire were 325/8, and 208 runs ahead, when play resumed after tea, with Craig Meschede and Owen Morgan sharing the bowling duties. Jack Shantry started by scything both bowlers through backward point for four, whilst Joe Leach lustily swept Morgan for a pair of fours to the mid-wicket ropes.
Shantry then survived an appeal for caught behind as he swished at Meschede before lofting Morgan over long-on for six. But his little cameo ended with the total on 364 as he under-edged a ball from Morgan onto his stumps. The spinner nearly ended the Worcestershire innings in his next over but he could not quite clutch onto a low drive back at him by Leach. The batsman celebrated by heaving Morgan over long-on for six, before Charlie Morris clipped Hogan to square-leg for four.
Morris also flayed Hogan over the slips before Leach drilled Hogan to long-on for four. Wagg then returned and was thick-edged for four by Leach, but Morgan ended the innings as Morris departed l.b.w. with his side on 393 and leading by 276 runs.
There were nine overs remaining as Jacques Rudolph and Nick Selman began Glamorgan’s second innings with Leach swiftly back in action as he took the new ball at the Diglis End, and with his sixth delivery had Nick Selman caught behind as the young opener completed a pair. With Morgan promoted again as night-watchman, Rudolph cover-drove Ed Barnard for four. Morgan repeated the stroke twice in successive balls against Leach as together with his captain he saw Glamorgan through to the close without any other scares
Teatime Update
Glamorgan had taken the new ball in the penultimate over of the morning session, so Graham Wagg and **** returned in tandem after lunch looking to make further inroads as Worcestershire resumed on 222/4 with a lead of 105 runs. Joe Clarke twice steered Wagg through point for four whilst Ross Whiteley drilled Carey through mid-off before twice nearly edging Wagg to Donald at second slip.
Whiteley also nearly dragged Carey onto his stumps before Clarke twice on-drove the teenager with aplomb with the second boundary bringing up their century stand for the fifth wicket. He seemed set to score a century but on 98 he pulled Wagg to fine-leg where Carey running around the boundary took a stunning one-handed catch high above his head.
256/5 immediately became 257/6 as Whiteley ducked into a short ball from Wagg, but in so doing he left his bat sticking up like a periscope, and after the ball cannoned into it, Mark Wallace was able to equal the Club record of nine dismissals in a match as he gleefully pouched the ball. Hogan duly returned at the New Road End and was cut for four by Cox.
Wagg nearly claimed another wicket in his next over as Joe Leach drove a ball back to the bowler who was unable to grab it as he dived down. Craig Meschede and Owen Morgan then joined forces, with the former making the next incision as he trapped Cox l.b.w. as the home batsman played half forward. 279/7 saw Ed Barnard make his way to the middle with Joe Leach edging a cut against Morgan.
Barnard also nurdled Carey to third man for four before square-cutting him for another boundary, but Wagg replaced Morgan at the New Road End shortly before tea, with the change doing the trick as, with the total on 308, he trapped Barnard l.b.w. Leach responded by cover-driving Wagg, before Jack Shantry repeated the stroke against Hogan as the led went past the 200-mark.
Lunchtime Report
Having conceded a first innings deficit of 117 runs, Worcestershire’s batsmen displayed more grit, and better shot selection batting for a second time yesterday afternoon. On the opening morning, the overhead conditions had assisted the swing and seam of the visiting bowlers, but in the cooler and clearer weather yesterday, batting appeared to be an easier proposition as promotion-chasing Worcestershire wiped off the arrears and ended the day with a slender lead of 33 runs.
The overnight pairing of Joe Clarke and Tom Fell were eager to continue their good work this morning as Worcestershire resumed on 150/2, but Graham Wagg struck with his fifth delivery of the day as Fell edged into Mark Wallace’s gloves, and the doughty wicket-keeper claimed his eighth victim of the game as Michael Hogan removed Tom Kohler-Cadmore who bagged a pair.
Clarke struck the day’s first boundary as he steered Hogan off the back foot through point, before swatting Wagg over the head of gully. Ross Whiteley began by edging Hogan through the slips before Clarke completed his fifty – from 112 balls – by straight-driving Wagg for four. Whiteley then greeted the return of Craig Meschede into the attack by straight-driving him for four, with Clarke also biffing him through extra cover, besides glancing him to fine-leg.
After an hour, Owen Morgan returned at the New Road End and the spinner was driven through cover by Whiteley who next over brought up the fifty stand by under-edging a pull against Whiteley. There was then a lengthy stoppage as the turf in the footholds at the Diglis End disintegrated and when play resumed Clarke added another boundary to his tally as he glided Meschede to third man. Shortly before lunch, Wagg also had a spell of left-arm spin in tandem with Morgan at the New Road End, before in the middle of the 83rd over Wagg took the new ball.