Worcestershire are Glamorgan’s next opponents in the Specsavers County Championship, with the West Midlands side meeting the Welsh county in a four-day encounter starting at The SSE SWALEC at 11am on Sunday May 8th (Gates open – 10am).
After their ten-wicket defeat earlier this week against Kent at Canterbury, the Glamorgan side will be looking to return to winning ways, and build on the plusses from their visit to the Garden of England, most notably a maiden Championship hundred for David Lloyd, plus another century for all-rounder Graham Wagg.
Worcestershire had a maiden centurion of their own during their latest round of matches with Brett D’Oliveira – grandson of the late Basil and son of the late Damian - reaching three figures against Essex at New Road.
Worcestershire were relegated last summer from Division One with Glamorgan having last met Worcestershire in Championship action at Cardiff during 2014, and during a match which was a personal milestone for visiting captain Daryl Mitchell who scored centuries in each innings as his side left Glamorgan a target of 382 runs in what proved to be a minimum of 102 overs.
On the final day of the contest in 2014, Will Bragg matched Mitchell’s crease occupation by batting for six hours to watchfully nullify the threat posed by the wiles of Saeed Ajmal, the Pakistani spinner and although Glamorgan had slipped to 38/4, Bragg gained decent support from Stewart Walters, Mark Wallace and Graham Wagg to guide Glamorgan to the safety of a draw.
Glamorgan had been victorious in April 2013 when the two sides met at the Cardiff ground with Worcestershire being beaten by ten wickets thanks to a haul of 5/27 by Mike Reed plus 78 from Jim Allenby as Glamorgan eased to victory on the final day.
Worcestershire’s most recent Championship victory in Cardiff came in 1991 – a contest which the visitor’s won by ten wickets thanks to a fine 186 from opening batsman Tim Curtis, plus a decent bowling performance by the visiting seam bowlers which forced Glamorgan to follow-on.
Then it was the spinners who enjoyed themselves on the Sophia Gardens wickets, with Graeme Hick taking 5/42 with his off-spin.