Glamorgan reach 316/4 at the close of play at Cardiff

After the Maundy misery yesterday with play washed out by a combination of a slow moving band of light rain, plus a soggy outfield, all concerned were hoping that it would literally be a Good Friday with the players getting into action in a match now abbreviated to a two-day affair.


But the weather over the Welsh capital was once again more akin to winter than summer, with rain falling throughout the night and the early morning. With steady drizzle falling from the grey skies at 10 a.m., the umpires - Jeff Evans and Russell Warren - once again announced that the start would be delayed and after a further inspection at 11a.m., the contest got underway at 11.45 a.m. with the students inviting the county professionals to bat first under the leaden grey skies.


Indeed, it was hardly the weather for Easter bonnets and parades as Jacques Rudolph and James Kettleborough made their way to the middle with Jack Murphy and Andrew Westphal sharing the new ball. Both of the undergraduates began with a maiden over before Kettleborough got the scoreboard moving by clipping Murphy through both mid-wicket and mid-off for a pair of three's, before doing the same to Westphal to the square-leg ropes.


Rudolph began with a push drive through the covers before on a couple of occasions playing and missing against Murphy who got decent swing with the new ball. However, the Glamorgan captain struck the first boundary of the season as he despatched the left-armer through extra cover followed next over by a firm on-drive against a full toss from the youngster.


Dan Lewis-Williams, another player with 2^nd XI experience with the Welsh county, then replaced Westphal at the River End and was cut for four by Kettleborough, before Rudolph scythed Murphy through backward point for four besides firmly clipping Lewis-Williams to square-leg for another well-timed boundary. Kettleborough then played his first false stroke of the session as he inside-edged an off-drive against Murphy which saw the ball hurtle to fine-leg for four.


Rudolph greeted the introduction of Sean Griffiths into the attack by cover-driving and pulling him for two four's as Glamorgan reached the fifty-mark in the 18^th over, before he added further to his boundary tally by deftly steering Lewis-Williams to the vacant third man ropes. Kettleborough also drilled the left-arm bowler through mid-off for four besides off-driving Griffiths for another boundary as the pair reached the lunch interval with few alarms.

Resuming on 73/0 after lunch, Glamorgan's new opening pairing of James Kettleborough and Jacques Rudolph once again faced the new ball attack of Jack Murphy and Andrew Westphal, and in his second over after the interval, the tall Murphy was rewarded by his accuracy and bounce as Rudolph sparred at a ball outside off stump and edged to Tim Rouse in the gully.


With Will Bragg as his new partner, Kettleborough despatched Westphal through mid-off for four before crisply on-driving both seamers to long-on. But one run short of a maiden fifty for his new county, Kettleborough was bowled by Westphal. 94/2 saw Ben Wright join Bragg and he was swiftly off the mark by cover driving Murphy for four, as well as deftly glancing him to fine-leg. Bragg also struck an early boundary as he guided Westphal to third man before his partner cover drove Lewis-Williams with aplomb.


Wright also forcefully cut Lewis-Williams to the ropes at backward point before square-driving Sean Griffiths to the ropes in front of the pavilion, as well as nudling him to third man. Bragg did the same the following over before Kieran Bull's off-spin was introduced at the River End. The youngster was clipped through mid-wicket by Wright who then survived a sharp chance behind the wicket en route to completing a 74-ball fifty.


Wright celebrated by slashing Griffiths through point for four as Glamorgan reached the 200-mark as Bragg cut Westphal for three in the final over before the tea interval.

The Welsh county had reached 203/2 by tea from 62 overs but to the third delivery after the interval, Ben Wright edged a drive against Dan Lewis-Williams into wicket-keeper Sam Bracey's gloves. His departure heralded the arrival of Chris Cooke who opened his season's account with a coruscating cover drive against the left-armer.


Bragg then reached his fifty from 107 balls with his trademark shot off the back foot through point as he collected his fourth boundary in assured fashion. His fifth came shortly afterwards as he drilled Andrew Westphal through mid-wicket, before Cooke also added to his tally by guiding Lewis-Williams to the vacant area at third man followed by a flowing cover drive against the left-armer.


Neil Brand also had a spell of left-arm spin in tandem with Kieran Bull's off-spin with Glamorgan's fourth wicket pairing quietly working the ball around for a series of singles until Cooke twice punched Brand through extra cover for a pair of fours. With the total on 269, Bull ended Bragg's three-hour innings as the southpaw tried to despatch the spinner over the River Taff and ended up holing out to Jack Murphy at deep mid-on.


Murphy and Westphal then returned with the cloud cover starting to build up again over the SWALEC Stadium, and after 82 overs, the new cherry was duly taken. Cooke survived a sharp chance at slip as he edged the impressive Murphy before clipping Westphal to square-leg as he completed a 74-ball fifty. Mark Wallace then straight-drove Lewis-Williams for four shortly before Glamorgan reached 300 in the 89^th over

Cooke also drilled Sean Griffiths for four through mid-on before the light deteriorated with five minutes remaining, with Glamorgan's batsmen leaving the field after completing a decent day's work against the student attack.