99 by David Lloyd helped Glamorgan secure a lead of 68 runs on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Gloucestershire at Bristol, with the North Walian sharing a combative stand of 104 runs with Graham Wagg before the latter was forced to retire hurt after being struck on the forearm. By the close, the home side were 60/1 in their second innings.
Close of Play Report
Some assertive blows by David Lloyd during the closing overs of the pre-tea session had seen Glamorgan to 294/6 at the interval, and a slender lead of 32 runs. But thoughts of further swift advance were expunged because, like after lunch, a wicket tumbled in the first over of the session as Harry Podmore was caught behind as he edged a drive against Josh Shaw.
Timm van der Gugten duly joined Lloyd who unleashed another firm drive square of the wicket to see Glamorgan to the 300-mark. He then swatted Shaw for four to square-leg, before pulling his next two balls to the ropes at mid-wicket, whilst his partner also found the ropes as he harpooned Craig Miles for four to mid-wicket followed by a well-timed on-drive against David Payne.
On 99 Lloyd looked like posting his third century of the summer, but it was not to be as – with the total on 329 he drove a ball from Miles straight into the hands of van Buuren at point. In the next over, Michael Hogan holed out at mid-off as Hamish Marshall caught a skied off-drive, and with Wagg still hors de combat the Glamorgan innings ended on 330.
Gloucestershire had 20 overs to face as van der Gugten and Hogan shared the new ball with Cameron Bancroft square-driving the Dutchman on two occasions for four through the covers before clipping him to square-leg. But the introduction of Harry Podmore at the Ashley Down End and a stunning diving catch to his left at second slip by Aneurin Donald ended Chris Dent’s innings as the opener edged a drive with the total on 22.
Graeme van Buuren got off the mark with a spliced drive through the slip cordon but his second boundary was from the middle of his bat as he cover drove Hogan. Bancroft brought up the 50 by dispatching van der Gugten through extra cover and backward point
Teatime Update
Glamorgan had reached 166/4 at lunch, with a 96-run deficit, and Glamorgan supporters were hoping that Chris Cooke and David Lloyd could further reduce this difference, But Cooke departed in the first over after the interval as he swatted Craig Miles to deep backward square-leg where George Hankins pouched the catch.
Graham Wagg announced his arrival by driving David Payne back over his head for four before leg-glancing Miles to the ropes. Lloyd also drilled Payne through the covers before deftly gliding successive balls from Josh Shaw to the vacant ropes at third man. Lloyd also saw Glamorgan to their first batting point as he pulled Shaw for four before both batsmen cut Graeme van Buuren’s left-arm spin through backward point for four.
The combative Wagg also swatted a long-hop from Kieran Noema-Barnett for four before drilling van Buuren straight for four before the home side took the new ball with Glamorgan still 28 runs in arrears. Lloyd greeted the return of David Payne by straight-driving him for four, whilst Wagg twice cover drove Miles as he completed an invaluable fifty from 79 balls, besides helping his side garner another batting point.
Lloyd then reached his fifty with a massive pull for six against Payne which took the Welsh county to within a boundary of Gloucestershire’s total. A pull by Lloyd duly saw the arrears wiped off, before Wagg brought up the century stand inside 25 overs by dispatching Miles through extra cover for another scorching four. Shortly afterwards, Wagg was struck a blow on the arm as he faced a rising ball from Miles and after brief treatment from the physiotherapist, Wagg retired hurt on 55.
Andrew Salter then joined Lloyd but his stay was brief as one run later he edged Shaw into the wicket-keeper’s gloves. 272/6 saw Harry Podmore make his way to the middle and he helped Lloyd take Glamorgan to tea without any further alarms, with Lloyd taking three fours in the penultimate over of the session, as he pulled and cover drove Shaw
Lunchtime Report
The last ball of yesterday’s play symbolised the way which Glamorgan had dominated from the outset, with Will Bragg assuredly despatching Josh Shaw through the covers for a coruscating four. Glamorgan’s decision to bowl first was fully vindicated, with the local cognoscenti pointing to the fact that the thick cover of grass on the khaki and green-tinged surface often camouflages a decent, if slow, batting surface.
With Glamorgan 180 runs behind and nine wickets in hand, Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg were looking to capitalise on their team’s position and take the side further into the ascendancy as play began under clear blue skies. Rudolph was soon into his stride as he cover-drove Payne for four, whilst Bragg brought up his fifty with a punched drive off the back foot through extra cover – his 96th delivery.
But next ball, with the total on 97, their stand came to an end as Rudolph was run out by Cameron Bancroft after Bragg had clipped Payne to mid-wicket, but after a slight hesitation in mid-pitch, the Glamorgan captain was run out at the batsman’s end as the direct throw from the Australian hit the stumps.
Chris Cooke joined Bragg and began with a nurdled four to third man before Bragg again dispatched Payne to the ropes with his trademark back-foot punch. A deft leg glance then followed from the southpaw’s bat before the left-arm spin of Graeme van Buuren was introduced at the Pavilion End. Cooke greeted the return of Josh Shaw at the Ashley Down End by forcing him through point for four.
The on-loan seamer from Yorkshire duly ended Bragg’s stay at the crease as in his fourth over he induced an edge from the left-hander’s bat as he attempted a pull, with Gareth Roderick completing the regulation catch. 137/3 saw Aneurin Donald join Cooke with the pair each surviving run our chances as they scampered a series of singles.
Donald also swept van Buuren for four before Cooke glanced Kieran Noema-Barnett to long-leg as the 150 came up in the 50th over. But next over Donald was stumped as he advanced down the wicket to van Buuren with his departure seeing David Lloyd join Cooke with the pair accumulating steadily until lunch.