Glamorgan secure a draw at Canterbury

355 was the big number in the cricket world yesterday but today 372 is the number at the forefront of the minds of Glamorgan's players and supporters at Canterbury as this is the number of runs their batsmen require on the final day of this enthralling contest as they chase a target of 404 to defeat Kent. If they are successful in their pursuit, it will be their highest winning score in the fourth innings of a game, beating the 367/4 they made to defeat Essex at Chelmsford in 2001, as well as beating their previous highest second innings total against Kent, with their score of 384 at the Arms Park made in 1936 when they were defeated by the margin of 111 runs.


But the first priority this morning was to establish a firm platform for later in the day and as James Kettleborough and night-watchman Dean Cosker resumed this morning on 32/1 their initial aim was to blunt the home county's seamers as they pressed to make further inroads into the visitors batting. Kettleborough struck the day's first boundary as he glanced Matt Coles' opening delivery to fine-leg, before Cosker guided the seamer through the sips for four. But it was the nagging seam of Darren Stevens which made the early breakthrough as he had an l.b.w. appeal upheld in the seventh over of the day.


45/2 saw Will Bragg join Cosker who added another boundary to his tally as he nurdled Coles through backward point, but with the total on 50, Bragg also departed leg before to Coles. Cosker added further boundaries as he off-drove Stevens before steering the all-rounder off the back foot through backward point. After a period of quiet reconnaissance, Colin Ingram flicked Ivan Thomas to backward square-leg for four before twice drilling him through extra cover.


Cosker greeted the introduction of Calum Haggett into the attack by pulling him for four before Ingram also square-drove him for four. James Tredwell's off-spin was introduced at the Nackington Road End shortly before lunch, but Cosker effortlessly despatched him to the ropes at extra cover, before Ingram hit the England international for four, six and four in successive balls in the penultimate over of the session.

The equation had become 290 from a minimum of 65 overs when play resumed after lunch with Glamorgan on 114/3 and Dean Cosker extending his night-watchman duties from last night into the afternoon session in partnership with Colin Ingram, who continued to drive fluently as the new ball pairing of Matt Coles and Ivan Thomas returned to the attack. Cosker off-drove Thomas for four before swatting Coles high over square-leg for another boundary. Ingram then completed his fifty from 78 balls by square-driving Thomas, but he edged the next delivery into the hands of first slip as Glamorgan lost their fourth wicket on 137.


Cosker duly completed his half-century from 137 balls by leg-glancing Thomas and he celebrated by pulling Coles to mid-wicket to pass his previous career-best score of 52, made against Gloucestershire at Bristol in 2005. Chris Cooke also unfurled a couple of fluent cover drives for four against Thomas but next over he drove Calum Haggett into Sam Northeast's hands at mid-on.


158/5 saw Mark Wallace join Cosker and he got off the mark with a leading edge for four through the slips which sped away to the vacant third man position. Cosker then pulled Haggett for four but with the total on 173 he departed for 69 as he departed l.b.w. after being rapped on the pads by a full length delivery from the young bowler. With Graham Wagg as his new partner, Wallace greeted the return of Tredwell's spin by sweeping him to fine-leg for four. Shortly before tea, Wagg also leg-glanced and cover drove Stevens for a pair of fours.

Glamorgan were 194/6 at tea, still 210 runs away from their target but thoughts of a record-breaking run-chase had long evaporated under the Canterbury sunshine and the most meaningful statistic when play resumed after the interval was that just 37 overs were remaining in the contest.


Mark Wallace and Graham Wagg therefore adopted a watchful approach as James Tredwell and Ivan Thomas resumed the bowling with Kent's potential trump card being that the new ball was only ten overs away. Wagg eventually opened his shoulders to safely loft Tredwell over the head of mid-off for four before Wallace edged Thomas to third man.


Wagg then on-drove Tredwell for four before Kent took the new ball with Glamorgan on 219/6 as Calum Haggett and Matt Coles returned to the attack. Wagg responded by imperiously off-driving Coles, but the all-rounder made the important breakthrough in his next over as he had Wallace leg before for 29.


Craig Meschede duly joined Wagg who scythed Haggett over the slip cordon for four followed by a rasping four through extra cover as well as another blow to the point boundary against Coles. But with the total on 243, Meschede shouldered arms and was bowled by Haggett. David Lloyd survived a loud appeal for a catch behind the wicket before Wagg on-drove Haggett for four. From consecutive deliveries, Lloyd edged Coles through the slips for a pair of fours. Wagg duly completed his 50 - from 65 balls - shortly before the start of the final hour with Glamorgan on 264/8.


The ninth wicket pair continued the rearguard action and stoutly defended as Thomas and Stevens returned to the attack, before Coles and Haggett had a final salvo with each batsman surrounded by a ring of close catchers. With 7.3 overs remaining Haggett trapped Wagg leg before as Michael Hogan joined Lloyd. The latter was dropped at second slip three balls later as Stevens spilled an edge against Coles.


Lloyd then farmed the strike as the pair survived some short-pitched bowling as Lloyd cut and pulled Coles for four and six. Hogan also scythed Haggett for a pair of fours over the slip cordon as the game went into the final over from Coles. But Lloyd survived the final over as the game ended in a draw.