Glamorgan trail Surrey by 175 runs at Colwyn Bay

There has been something of a surreal feel to sport in recent days with footballing minnows Costa Rica excelling in the World Cup, cyclists in the Tour de France hurtling around the Yorkshire Dales and at Worcester on Sunday, Andrew Flintoff returning to action for Lancashire, and prompting the question who was the last professional boxer to appear in county cricket?

Another curio is that Glamorgan have not completed home and away victories in a season over Surrey in Championship cricket since 1961, and after their crushing victory at The Kia Oval back in April, many had arrived at the North Wales Festival of County Cricket hoping to see Mark Wallace's side equal this 53 year-old record. Surrey however, were in the driving seat at the start of day three of the contest, leading by 168 runs and with five wickets still in hand.

Resuming on 400/5, Jason Roy and Gary Wilson were looking to further extend this lead as Michael Hogan and Will Owen resumed the bowling. Roy was quickly into his stride, cover driving Hogan whilst Wilson also on-drove Owen, but in the fifth over of the morning, a mix-up in calling saw Roy run out by Ben Wright at cover. Gareth Batty came in and immediately pulled Owen for four before Wilson repeated the stroke the following over.

Jim Allenby then returned to the attack and was twice edged by Wilson through the slips, whilst Batty greeted the return of Dean Cosker by hoisting him to the boards at mid-wicket. Wilson also lofted the spinner onto the Embankment for six but the tempo dropped after this show of aggression with the pair restricted to a series of singles until Batty danced down the wicket and drilled Cosker straight for six. Next ball, he jaywalked down the wicket again and was stumped by Wallace as Surrey lost their seventh wicket on 480.

Wilson was joined by Chris Tremlett and completed his fifty from 90 balls, before his new partner drilled Cosker straight for six. Wilson then pulled Ruaidhri Smith's first delivery for four before Tremlett lofted the youngster straight for four followed by a massive lofted drive over the Pavilion as the ball disappeared towards the sea front. He then lofted Cosker for another straight six before Wilson biffed the spinner over the sightscreen. Tremlett then flayed Smith for successive fours to mi-wicket and third man as the lead exceeded 300 shortly before lunch.

Surrey had gone to lunch with a lead of 312 and after the interval Gary Wilson and Chris Tremlett looked to plunder further runs before the declaration. Jacques Rudolph and Will Owen resumed the bowling duties with the former being struck a painful blow on his thumb as he tried to take a return catch with the Springbok leaving the field for treatment to his damaged digit as Will Bragg completed the over as Tremlett completed his fifty with a six to square-leg - his 48^th delivery - as Surrey's total reached 576 and became their second highest against Glamorgan in first-class cricket, surpassed only by their mammoth score of 701-9 declared at Sophia Gardens in 2001.

Tremlett departed next over from Owen as he edged a bouncer into Mark Wallace's gloves, with Wilson then playing a ramp stroke for four against Bragg to move closer to his hundred. As rain started to fall he swatted Owen square of the wicket for four but at the end of the over, the players left the field with Surrey on 589/8 and Wilson unbeaten on 97, with his side having accrued a lead of 357 runs.

During the rain break Surrey declared and when play resumed at 3.15pm with the loss of eight overs, Glamorgan batted again with a minimum of 146 overs remaining in the contest. Despite the blow to his thumb, Rudolph opened with Bragg as Matthew Dunn took the new ball at the Embankment End, with Tremlett at the Penrhyn Avenue End.

After Bragg had almost departed third ball with Gareth Batty nearly holding onto a drive diving low at mid-wicket, Rudolph struck the first boundary as he guided Tremeltt through backward point. Bragg then unfurled a couple of sweetly-timed drives through extra cover against Dunn before off-driving Tremlett, before Rudolph edged Dunn through the gully.

Tom Curran then entered the attack shortly before tea and his first ball was carved by Bragg to third man before Rudolph struck the last two balls of the session for four.

Resuming after tea on 59/0, Will Bragg and Jacques Rudolph looked to continue the serene progress they had made before the interval, and after surviving an in-swinging yorker from Chris Tremlett, Bragg clipped him to mid-wicket for four.

Rudolph despatched Tremlett off the back foot through extra cover before Bragg punched him through the off-side for successive boundaries. The southpaw then clipped Tom Curran to square-leg to complete a 54-ball fifty with Zafar Ansari's spin also introduced at the Penrhyn Avenue End. A four through the gully by Rudolph brought up the 100-stand in the 19^th over before Bragg swept Ansari for four. Rudolph duly completed his fifty from 70 balls by nurdling Matthew Dunn through backward point before cover driving the youngster as Glamorgan continued to make a strong start.

The situation prompted Gareth Batty having a spell at the Embankment End as Surrey opted for an all-spin attack. Rudolph responded by reverse-sweeping Ansari for four before Bragg nonchalantly punched Batty off the back foot through backward point. However, after bringing up the 150 in the 41^st over, Rudolph was snared leg before by Batty with the total on 155, and seven runs later, Bragg departed in identical fashion before Ben Wright and Murray Goodwin saw Glamorgan through to the close, with the latter striking successive fours against Batty before edging Dunn through the slips in the final over.