Gloucestershire need 108 runs to win at Swansea

On the day when the Welsh rugby team were starting their World Cup preparations with a match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, it was very fitting that Glamorgan should be in action at Swansea at the St. Helen's ground where rugby co-exists with cricket, and at a venue which on 16^th December 1882 hosted Wales' first-ever home rugby international against England. .


The England-Wales encounter of August 2015 resumed this morning with Gloucestershire - whose players did their warm-up routines today on the beach opposite the ground - just two runs ahead of their hosts with four first innings wickets remaining. Glamorgan were hoping that Graham Wagg who had sustained a hamstring strain yesterday afternoon would be able to bowl again this morning, especially with the new ball being available. But 24 minutes of play needed to have elapsed before he could bowl as well as Craig Meschede so it was off-spinner Kieran Bull who bowled at first in tandem with the old ball with Michael Hogan.


After a couple of maidens, Jack Taylor struck the day's first boundary as he cover drove Bull, whilst Miles Hammond glanced Hogan to fine-leg before pulling the next ball to mid-wicket. But in Hogan's next over Hammond sparred at a short rising delivery and edged into Wallace's gloves.320/4 saw Tom Smith join Taylor who straight drove Bull for four, before dabbing him to third man.


The new ball was taken after 96 overs as Meschede returned at the Pavilion End. He was pulled for four by Taylor but two balls later he was clean bowled by Meschede as Gloucestershire slipped to 347/8 as Wagg returned to bowl in place of Hogan at the Mumbles Road End. Smith greeted his return by cutting him for four, before David Payne swatted him through backward point for another boundary.


Andrew Salter duly replaced Meschede at the Pavilion End, with the on-loan all-rounder switching ends in place of Wagg, in search of his maiden 'five-for' and the third bowling point. But at the 110 over stage when the points ended, the visitors were 378/8, leaving Glamorgan with just two to add to their pair of batting points. It was with some irony that the ninth wicket fell two overs later as Payne dragged a ball from Salter onto his stumps with his side on 386/9. Smith then harpooned Salter for four to mid-wicket before Liam Norwell, refreshed by a swim in Swansea Bay yesterday, straight drove Meschede for four, before biffing Salter to long-on for four as the 400 came up.


Colin Ingram's leg-spin then returned at the Mumbles Road End and he was pulled for a massive six by Norwell into the Mumbles Road, But next over Norwell holed out to Hogan at long-on as Salter ended the innings.

This morning out in Swansea Bay a series of powerboats and catamarans had taken part in a series of races, with the vessels creating plenty of white water as they jostled for the lead. Back on terra firma, an equally enthralling contest was taking place, although a more decisive lead had been taken by Gloucestershire as Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg began the Welsh county's second innings 117 runs in arrears.


In the third over, Bragg was dropped at second slip by Chris Dent as he edged Liam Norwell before Rudolph got a thick edge to David Payne with the ball speeding away for four as the Gloucestershire new ball attack, like the home seamers this morning found plenty of lateral movement. There was nothing fortuitous though about Rudolph's next four as he twice cover drove Payne with a flourish. But with the total on 27, Kieran Noema-Barnett struck in his opening over as Bragg departed l.b.w. and next over, without further addition to the total, Rudolph edged Payne into the wicket-keeper's gloves before five runs later Aneurin Donald departed in identical fashion


With Glamorgan on 32/3, the Mumbles Lifeboat joined the flotilla of vessels out in Swansea Bay as Chris Cooke and Colin Ingram commenced a rescue mission of their own with the latter starting with a firm cover drive against Noema-Barnett before a rasping square-cut against Payne. Cooke duly nurdled Noema-Barnett to third man for four to bring up the fifty, whilst Ingram did the same when Norwell returned at the Mumbles Road End. But with the total on 72, Cooke departed l.b.w. as Norwell got a delivery to jag back into the batsman.


With Graham Wagg as his new partner, Ingram drilled successive balls from Howell through extra cover and mid-off for four, before despatching Norwell through the covers for four. Half an hour before tea, Jack Taylor's spin was deployed at the Pavilion End and he was cut for four by Ingram. In the penultimate over of the session, Wagg edged Noema-Barnett but Marshall, still handicapped by his calf injury could not quite reach the ball as he dived forward at slip. But later in the over, the Kiwi all-rounder removed Ingram as he edged a rising delivery into the wicket-keeper's gloves. Wagg responded by driving Taylor straight for six in the final over of the session as his side came closer to parity

Glamorgan resumed after tea on 110/5 still seven runs behind and with just five second innings wickets remaining, besides the prospect of a third successive defeat in Championship cricket. David Payne and Liam Norwell resumed the bowling as Gloucestershire, with news of unsettled weather tomorrow, strove to complete a three-day victory


Craig Meschede responded by straight-driving Norwell for four as the arrears were wiped off but with the total on 121 he edged Payne to first slip. Wagg responded by straight-driving Payne but with the total on 132, Wallace spliced a drive against Benny Howell into Roderick's gloves before next over, and without further addition, Wagg also edged a sharply rising delivery from Payne to the wicket-keeper.


Andrew Salter responded by cover-driving Howell for four before lofting the all-rounder over square-leg for six, whilst Kieran Bull, after careful reconnaissance, clipped Liam Norwell to long-leg for four Salter then cover drove Kieran Noema-Barnett for four. Tom Smith's left-arm spin then returned at the Pavilion End and he trapped Kieran Bull l.b.w. in his second over as Glamorgan nosedived to 165/9.


Michael Hogan responded by lofting Smith straight for a pair of huge sixes with his aggression prompting the return of David Payne but the Australian lofted him straight for four before Salter savagely pulled him for four. Hogan then lofted Smith straight for six into the Press Box before despatching Payne into the Mumbles Road for another maximum.


The tail continued to wag as Salter pulled Noema-Barnett for four as the lead went past the 100-mark, but shortly before the close, the Kiwi ended Glamorgan's resistance as Salter edged him to slip where his fellow countryman Hamish Marshall held a good catch one-handed to his left.