Glamorgan beat Kent by five wickets after successfully chasing a target of 189 in their Specsavers County Championship match at Canterbury after the Welsh county dismissed the home side for 115 with Michael Hogan claiming 6/43 to complete his best-ever match return of 10/87 for Glamorgan.
Close of Play Report
Glamorgan went to tea on 148/4 requiring a further 41 to win with six wickets in hand and, for a few of the travelling supporters, their minds went back to Grace Road a year ago where the Welsh county, needing 45 to win after lunch on the final day, proceeded to lose their last six wickets for just ten runs in 26 balls.
Cooke began by cover-driving Stevens for four but in the next over he chipped a return catch back to Imran Qayyum. But any thoughts of a repetition were quelled as Lloyd square-cut Stevens for a pair of fours before straight-driving Qayyum. Andrew Salter then pulled Stevens for four.
Daniel Bell-Drummond then came on to bowl at the Nackington Road End and was pulled for a pair of fours by Salter before Lloyd ended the game – and the season – by hoisting Qayyum for six as Glamorgan recorded their first victory in red ball cricket at Canterbury since winning by 86 runs at the ground in 1992.
Afternoon Report
Selman and Brown had taken Glamorgan to 50/0 at lunch and when play resumed the task had therefore been reduced to 139 by the pair of uncapped openers. Selman, who century tally in Championship cricket has only been surpassed by Kumar Sangakkara and Daryl Mitchell, twice on-drove Callum Haggett before cover-driving Milne whilst Brown flicked Milne to fine-leg for four.
After a trio of on-drives for three, Selman steered Grant Stewart to third man for four followed by a rasping cover drive to complete a 90-ball fifty. He celebrated by twice straight driving Stewart to the ropes in front of the pavilion to take the total to 96 and four short of the first century opening stand in Championship cricket for the Welsh county since April 2015. It looked like this would be achieved with a fierce cut by Brown against Haggett but Ollie Robinson, the substitute fielder, at backward point dived to parry the ball before catching the rebound with one hand whilst prone on the ground.
Jack Murphy came in and flicked a couple of deliveries to mid-wicket before straight-driving Haggett, who also saw Selman dropped at third slip by Crawley. Murphy then unfurled a regal cover drive for four against Stewart before Selman drove Stevens through point. Murphy did the same to Stewart before Selman clipped Stevens to square-leg to take his seasonal tally past the 900-mark for the first time in his career.
But it proved to be his final runs as he then drove at Stevens and edged the ball into Adam Rouse’s gloves. 119/2 immediately became 119/3 as Kiran Carlson was bowled next ball. David Lloyd survived the hat-trick ball before Murphy survived a stumping chance when Imran Qayyum entered the attack shortly before tea. Lloyd also cover drove the spinner before Murphy on-drove Stevens.He then spliced a drive against Stevens and was caught at third slip as Chris Cooke joined Lloyd with 50 still required. Lloyd began with a series of singles before cover-driving Qayyum.
Lunchtime Report
Yesterday was a red letter day for Michael Hogan as the wholehearted seam bowler claimed his 500th wicket in all first-class cricket during a dramatic closing session on the second day of this contest. Hogan claimed three wickets for no cost in an eight-ball spell before later returning to bowl the dangerous Darren Stevens, and thereby claim his 50th first-class wicket of the season as Kent ended the day 171 runs ahead with four wickets remaining.
The St. Lawrence ground this morning was shrouded in mist with the field of play resembling something more akin to the set for a remake of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” as the tracksuited players went through their warm-up routines. As the spectators made their way into the ground they did not need anyone like Sherlock Holmes to help them deduce that the light or underfoot conditions might not be suitable for a prompt start with a heavy dew still on the outfield. It was therefore quite an elementary decision for the umpires to delay the start until 10.45am, by which time the sun had broken through and the outfield had been roped several times
Hogan resumed the bowling with Lukas Carey and was square-cut for four by Adam Rouse before the replacement wicket-keeper played and missed several times against both bowlers. His partner Callum Haggett also did the same until his middle stump was sent cartwheeling out of the ground by Hogan as he completed his “five-for”
Carey was in parsimonious mood at the Nackington Road End, conceding just a single in his first four overs with his frugality being rewarded with the wicket of Rouse who miscued a pull to a diving Hogan at mid-on before five balls later seeing Grant Stewart edge to Nick Selman at second slip.
With one run added, Hogan then ended the innings and claimed his tenth wicket of the match as Imran Qayyam edged into Cook’s gloves as he completed match figures of 10/87 – his best-ever for the Welsh county beating his previous best of 10/125 also against Kent at The SWALEC Stadium in 2014.
Kent had therefore lost their last four wickets for just nine runs in 4.2 overs to leave Glamorgan with a target of 189 as Nick Selman and Connor Brown opened the innings with 85 overs remaining in the day’s quota plus of tomorrow’s 96. After a flurry of singles, Selman outside edged Milne for four to third man before being struck a painful blow on his hand by a rising delivery from Stevens.
He resumed after treatment and saw his partner find the ropes as he twice steered Milne through point. Brown though did have a moment of good fortune when Callum Haggett entered the attack as Stevens at first slip dropped the outside edge. Selman then showed he had recovered fully from the blow by on-driving Haggett. With the ground now bathed in warm September sunshine, Brown sweetly off-drove both Stevens and Stewart before Selman glanced Stewart to mid-wicket to bring up the fifty stand.