17 May 2015 | Cricket
Glamorgan Head Coach Toby Radford has confirmed the squad, showing two changes from the team that claimed a hard earned draw against Kent last time out in the LV= County Championship, for the four-day clash at the SWALEC Stadium starting tomorrow (Monday, May 18th).
Homegrown players Ruaidhri Smith and Andrew Salter have both been included in the 12-man squad for the match in place of Dean Cosker, whose heroics at The Kia Oval saw the Welsh county get their NatWest T20 Blast campaign off to the perfect start last Friday.
Both Salter and Smith made auspicious debuts in Championship cricket two seasons ago, claiming wickets with their first balls. No Glamorgan bowler had achieved the feat in 56 years and only two previously in history, until Salter got his Championship career off to a dream start against Leicestershire in August 2013. Then Smith on his debut two weeks later replicated the first ball accomplishment.
After Glamorgan's draw with Kent at Canterbury, the Welsh county remain unbeaten in Championship matches so far this summer and sit immediately above Essex in the Division Two table.
I'm as happy as you can be with played four drawn four said coach Toby Radford speaking after last week's draw at Canterbury.
You want to win matches but you've got to take 20 wickets and on flat pitches that's never an easy task.
Most of the guys have had big scores with the bat so far this season, we've posted scores of 500 and 400 but what we need to do is put it all together on the same day.
We know if we keep working hard, we are going to win championship matches.
Last year at Swansea Monty Panesar grabbed 11 wickets in the match and Glamorgan have not beaten Essex in their last ten Championship meetings with the last five games in Cardiff all ending in draws.
Mark Wallace needs 14 further runs to become Glamorgan's first-ever specialist wicket-keeper to score 10,000 first-class runs for the Club and the 24th in all.
Gates open at 10am at the SWALEC Stadium ahead of the 11am start. Supporters travelling to Cardiff for the Championship clash as well as the T20 Blast match on Friday in Cardiff between Glamorgan and Essex Eagles, can purchase Country Membership for £60 and save £15
Glamorgan team to face Essex (from): James Kettleborough, Jacques Rudolph ©, Will Bragg, Colin Ingram, Chris Cooke, Mark Wallace, Graham Wagg, David Lloyd, Craig Meschede, Ruaidhri Smith, Andrew Salter, Michael Hogan