Glamorgan are 82/0 at the close of the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match at a cloudy and breezy Grace Road, having earlier dismissed Leicestershire for 191 with Michael Hogan and Marchant de Lange each taking three wickets apiece.
Close of Play Report
Leicestershire resumed on 174/7 after tea with Neil Dexter adding another boundary to his tally as he straight drove Andrew Salter for four. But their innings ended within six overs as firstly Lewis Hill was bowled by a full length delivery from de Lange. Having been joined by Varun Aaron, Dexter lofted Salter to the ropes at mid-wicket but next over the Indian was trapped l.b.w. by de Lange, and in the following over Dexter, on 87, holed out at long-on as he lofted Salter into Jack Murphy’s hands.
With 24 overs remaining in the days quota, Murphy was swiftly back into action as he opened the innings with Nick Selman and clipped his first ball from Aaron for four to fine-leg. Selman also swatted Ben Raine through point for four as the light became gloomy with the floodlights coming on during the 8th over.
Murphy then drilled the Indian pace bowler through extra-cover for four before Gavin Griffiths entered the attack and was steered through point by Selman. Murphy also unfurled a high-class on-drove for three against Raine before Murphy clipped Griffiths to mid-wicket for an all-run four to see Glamorgan to the 50-mark.
Another well-timed on-drove by Murphy against Griffiths, followed by a lofted drive to the ropes at square-leg saw the openers further chisel away at the deficit. Selman also square-cut Callum Parkinson for four when the left-arm twirler came on shortly before the close.
Afternoon Report
Having reached 62/5 at lunch, Leicestershire’s plight worsened firstly with confirmation that Lewis Hill had gone to hospital for an X-ray on his injured forearm with Ben Raine walking to the middle with Neil Dexter. But his stay proved to be a brief one as Michael Hogan returned to the attack and saw Raine inside-edge a delivery onto his stumps.
67/6 saw Callum Parkinson join Dexter before van der Gugten resumed at the Bennett End with the seventh wicket pair playing more assertively than their colleagues. Dexter guided the Dutchman for four through backward point before cover-driving him in his next over, whilst Parkinson went down the wicket to loft Hogan straight for four.
De Lange duly returned to the attack and was clipped to long-leg for four by Dexter as the 100 came up in the 41st over, before Parkinson edged the quick bowler through the slip cordon for another four. Dexter also did the same off the bottom edge of his bat before straight-driving de Lange for four to complete a 96-ball fifty.
Dexter again edged through the slip cordon before Parkinson used the long handle to scythe Lloyd to the point boundary. But his quixotic innings ended as Hogan returned at the Bennett End and found the edge of Parkinson’s bat with Nick Selman at second slip completing a regulation catch.
147/7 saw Hill return to the crease and he soon showed no ill effects as he steered Hogan through point for four. Shortly before tea, Andrew Salter had an economical spell at the Pavilion End.
Lunch Report
Having already won this season at the home of WG Grace, before bowling well at a ground whose main games are named in honour of the legendary doctor, Glamorgan’s cricketers are now performing at a venue whose traditional name includes the surname of the record-breaking Gloucestershire and England player, with the Welsh county fielding the same side who were beaten last weekend against Kent at Sophia Gardens.
After losing the toss, Michael Hogan shared the new ball with Timm van der Gugten and delivered a probing opening salvo during which both bowlers beat the outside edge of opening batsmen Michael Carberry and Paul Horton. The latter ended a sequence of playing and missing by straight-driving Hogan for the day’s first boundary, but three overs later he perished l.b.w. as he played half forward to van der Gugten.
9/1 immediately became 9/2 as Colin Ackermann drilled the next delivery from the Dutchman into Hogan’s hands at mid-off. With no further addition, Glamorgan secured their first bowling point as Carberry edged Hogan into Cooke’s gloves. It might have been 10/4 as Mark Cosgrove called for a quick single with Atiq Javid and just made his ground at the bowler’s end as Aneurin Donald nearly completed the run out.
Javid then glanced van der Gugten to fine-leg for four before Cosgrove did the same against Hogan besides clipping him to the ropes at deep backward square-leg. Marchant de Lange and David Lloyd then entered the fray after an hour’s play with the former striking in his opening over as he trapped Cosgrove l.b.w with a full length delivery.
33/4 saw Neil Dexter arrive in the middle and together with Javid accumulated in one’s and two’s as the visiting attack remained in frugal mode. Indeed, Lloyd’s nagging line on and around off stump was rewarded with Javid feathering another catch into Cooke’s gloves as Leicestershire slumped further to 45/5. With Lewis Hill as his new partner, Dexter squirted a delivery from de Lange through the slips for four before an authentic cover drive to bring up the fifty.Hill then flicked de Lange for four to fine-leg before taking a nasty blow on the fore-arm shortly before lunch and retired hurt.