Head Coach Matt Maynard has named a 12-man squad for the Specsavers County Championship fixture against Worcestershire at New Road tomorrow.
Glamorgan currently occupy the 4th spot in the Division 2 table after the loss to Lancashire at Colwyn Bay last time out, and with three games to go in the competition they sit 5 points behind Northamptonshire who currently occupy the final promotion slot.
West Indian opener Kraigg Brathwaite is set to make his debut at the top of the order, and is a straight swap for Charlie Hemphrey who has returned to Australia with Queensland.
Samit Patel returns to the squad after helping the Nottinghamshire Outlaws reach Finals Day last week, while fast bowler Timm van der Gugten makes his first appearance in the squad since the home fixture against Worcestershire in June where he sustained a back injury.
Tom Cullen also returns to the squad and is set to feature as a frontline batsman. Cullen led the 2nd XI to the 2XI T20 title and impressed earlier in the year when he deputised for captain Chris Cooke after he sustained an injury against Gloucestershire at Newport.
Cullen struck four half-centuries during his run in the 1st XI at an average of 44 and is hoping to continue his form as the side looks to push for promotion.
“It feels great to be back in the squad,” said Cullen. “But there’s firmly a job that needs to be done.”
“We are getting into the business end of the year now, and for some of us we have three of the biggest games of our lives coming up, starting with Worcestershire on Tuesday. I have felt in good nick all year, and I feel I have stepped up to the plate when the team have needed it the most, and I hope to do more of the same over the next few weeks if I am called upon.
“We’ve had four solid days of practice off the back of the T20s finishing, and the boys realise the position we are in and have been working seriously hard at training. We know how much these next three games will mean to the club and our fans, so we are nothing but focussed on delivering the right result for us.
“Obviously we are in a real battle for promotion this year, something that hasn’t happened for a long time, but we must embrace this opportunity, and take it head on. Championship cricket is tough, every team has their own world class players, and we won’t be taking any of the teams lightly. But the focus is fiercely on beating Worcestershire over the next few days.
The arrival of Kraigg Brathwaite will add some much-needed experience and solidity at the top of the order, and Cullen feels he is settling in well.
“He is a very laid-back character, like most Caribbean players,” added Cullen.
“They rarely get flustered, and I can see that in the way that he goes about his batting. We have been lucky with some quality overseas this year in Marnus Labuschagne and Shaun Marsh, and Kraigg is obviously of that calibre. He is going to really help us out at the top of the order.
“If we can set a solid base with the bat like we have done for the majority of this season, and give our bowlers something to bowl at, it will go a long way to beating any team in the Division. But if not, we’ve shown time and time again this year our willingness to scrap and fight for every point. We should feel like we have a point to prove, and I expect us to come out firing on all cylinders.”
