Head Coach Grant Bradburn has named a 13-man squad for our 3-day friendly against Cardiff UCCE.
The Welsh county will hit outside for the first time against the students on Sunday, 31st March after the weather has not allowed the squad to train outdoors at Sophia Gardens.
Glamorgan will look to avenge the defeat of last season and are set to unveil a strong side ahead of our opening Vitality County Championship fixture against Middlesex.
New red-ball skipper Sam Northeast headlines a strong batting line-up, with all 13 players in the squad set to feature at some point. Glamorgan legend Colin Ingram will settle in a three as he deputizes for Marnus Labuschagne, who returns in May.
New signing Mason Crane will look to spin a web on his home debut for Glamorgan, and youngsters Asa Tribe and Will Smale are also set to feature, likely at the top of the order.
Seamer Timm van der Gugten and batter Eddie Byrom will miss the fixture through injury, and we will update on the timeframe of their return.
View from the camp – Grant Bradburn
"As a squad we can’t wait to bring on game time come Sunday, in what we expect to be a tough contest vs Cardiff UCCE. Obviously, we are eager to get outside and transfer a superb indoor training phase into game time.
“As a new Head Coach, it has been a privilege to get to know the players + staff over the past eight weeks and I couldn’t be happier with the work ethics, attitude and skills I am seeing.
“We will be underdone for sure, though the lack of outdoor training hasn’t stopped us controlling everything within our control – Player Profiling, Individual Roles, Simple Plans to Win, Fielding, Team Building have all been nailed, in between some exceptional skill development and competitive training.”
Head-to-head – Glamorgan vs Cardiff UCCE
The wet weather has stifled Glamorgan’s pre-season preparations with the cancellation earlier this week of a two-day friendly against the South Asian Cricket Academy. As a result, the three-day friendly against the student team, drawn from the Universities of Cardiff, South Wales and Cardiff Met, is Glamorgan's only warm-up match ahead of the County Championship season which commences at Lord’s on 5 April when the Welsh county meet Middlesex.
In recent years, the students from the various University Cricketing Centres of Excellence have played under the umbrella of the MCC, with several of the undergraduates, such as Glamorgan’s Dan Douthwaite, using the scheme as a stepping stone into county cricket. Following the end of this sponsorship deal with the MCC, the students’ team has reverted back to its original name, as used in the inaugural contest against Glamorgan back in 2001 which the county team won by a handsome margin of 140 runs with opening batsman Alun Evans scoring 137.
The Glamorgan batters also had a field day in the drawn contest in 2004 with Michael Powell posting an imperious 201, whilst David Hemp made 138 as the Welsh county amassed 586-9. The following year, Glamorgan made 603, but the contest ended in a draw, with their most emphatic victory coming during 2011 when they won by 281 runs as the students were dismissed for 46 with seam bowler Huw Waters claiming 5/6.
How to watch
There will be regular updates on Glamorgan social media channels. (The live stream will be tested during this fixture with no commentary.)