28 May 2015 | Cricket
After winning their first game away to Surrey, and losing the next at home to Essex, Glamorgan coach Toby Radford will be hoping their two injured players Wayne Parnell and Ben Wright, will be fit to play against Hampshire at the Swalec Stadium on Friday night.
We'd love to see Parnell in there, said Radford, he gives that extra bit of pace and zip with his bowling.
Parnell is also a hard hitting middle order batsman and very useful towards the end of the innings. The South African, who has played 33 T20 games for his country and taken 36 wickets at an economy rate of 8.09, suffered a groin injury two days before leaving for South Wales and missed the two opening games; but after receiving daily treatment, he is hopeful of making his T20 debut against Hampshire.
There was also encouraging news regarding Ben Wright, Glamorgan's middle order batsman, who is recovering from a back injury, but who is also expected to return for the Hampshire clash.
After scoring a mammoth 240 for 3 at the Kia Oval, Glamorgan had reached 64 for1 against Essex, but then lost their next five wickets for just 19 runs, and from that position it is difficult to come back and post a constructive total, said Radford.
A match winning innings from Ravi Bopara secured Essex's win with 14 balls remaining, but Glamorgan knew that another 25 runs from the batsmen would have ensured a much closer finish and a possible victory.
They might also consider what sort of a pitch to prepare for Friday's game. Their home advantage was nullified last week when the batsmen had to contend with a strip of considerable pace and bounce. Ideal, perhaps, for a four day championship game, but hardly suitable to counter an Essex attack of five pace bowlers, including Shaun Tait, one of the world's quickest who relished the conditions.
Glamorgan possess three effective spinners who invariably bowl well at the Swalec Stadium, but they were at such a disadvantage against Essex, that Andrew Salter, their promising young off spinner did not bowl a single ball.