Paul Collingwood celebrated his 41st birthday with 127 whilst Michael Hogan celebrated his elevation to the captaincy in red ball cricket with a haul of 5/49 as Durham were dismissed by Glamorgan for 342 shortly before the close of the opening day of their match at Swansea in the Specsavers County Championship.
Close of Play Report
With his side on 183/5 at tea, Paul Collingwood duly completed his fifty from 100 balls shortly after the interval. He celebrated with a pair of rasping fours through the covers against van der Gugten. His partner Paul Coughlin had a life shortly afterwards as an edged drive just fell short of second slip but he middle a delivery next over from Hogan as the ball raced away to long-off. Coughlin then clipped Lloyd to mid-wicket before Collingwood on-drove and off-drove Ingram to the boards, besides pulling a short ball from Lloyd to the ropes at square-leg.
Coughlin also harpooned Ingram to the ropes at mid-wicket before cover-driving Lloyd before the new ball was taken with Durham on 256/5 after 80 overs. Collingwood greeted the return of de Lange by cover-driving him for four but at the Pavilion End van der Gugten removed Coughlin l.b.w. The new batsman Stuart Poynter began by thick-edging de Lange for four and then unfurling an authentic off-drive to the ropes against van der Gugten.
Collingwood added another four to his tally by cover-driving de Lange before reaching his century by clipping his 158th delivery to square-leg. Salter and Hogan duly returned to the attack with Poynter twice driving the spinner through the covers. Collingwood also hoisted the spinner high over mid-wicket for six followed by a pair of crisp cover-drives to the next two balls, before cheekily reverse-sweeping him for the fourth boundary of the over.
But Salter had the last laugh as Collingwood then attempted another reverse-sweep to the next delivery and departed l.b.w. for 127. But this heralded the end of the Durham innings as Hogan claimed three wickets in his next over as firstly Poynter edged into Cooke’s gloves before two balls later debutant George Harding was bowled by the new Glamorgan captain who then had Chris Rushworth caught behind off the last ball.
Teatime update
Durham had gone into lunch on 92/2 and when play resumed, Graham Clark pulled de Lange for four, but he perished shortly afterwards as he edged Hogan to second slip where Nick Selman held a good low catch. Paul Collingwood, who is celebrating his 41st birthday today, then made his way to the middle to join the obdurate Steel who continued to defend stoutly against the frugal seamers.
Andrew Salter then returned at the Pavilion End and was hoisted over long-on for four by Collingwood who then smashed the next delivery through extra-cover before repeating the stroke in the spinner’s next over. He then square-cut van der Gugten for four before glancing the next delivery to fine-leg.
Steel then swept Salter for four to complete a 134-ball fifty as well as cover-driving the off-spinner before Collingwood unleashed another high-class cover-drive against van der Gugten. Collingwood also cover drove Hogan when he switched to the Mumbles Road End, but with the total on 163, Steel’s industrious innings ended as he edged Hogan to Selman at second slip.
Ryan Pringle announced his arrival by clipping Lloyd for four to square-leg but next over he feathered a ball from de Lange into Cooke’s gloves as Durham lost their fifth wicket on 169.
Lunchtime Report
This is the second day of the annual festival of county cricket at the St. Helen’s ground where twelve days ago, the opening day saw a six-fest as a record-equalling total of 35 sixes were struck in the one-day contest against the Kent Spitfires which saw 697 runs in 97.2 overs. The opening 96 overs of the match today will not see as many runs being scored, but like the one-day contest, there was clear blue sky over the Swansea ground from early morning and little threat of any rain.
Following the handover of captaincy from Jacques Rudolph to Michael Hogan for the remaining fixtures in the four-day competition, Hogan returned to the side in place of Carey, with Timm van der Gugten sharing the new ball with Marchant de Lange. The latter made an early breakthrough as he bowled Keaton Jennings in the fifth over, with Cameron Steel joining Steven Cook with the total on 13/1.
The new man duly struck the day’s first boundary as he clipped de Lange to the ropes at deep backward square-leg, but with no further addition van der Gugten trapped Cook l.b.w. with an in-swinging delivery. Graham Clark announced his arrival by punching van der Gugten off the back foot and also off the front foot through extra cover for a pair of fours. He continued to deal solely in boundaries as he greeted the introduction of David Lloyd by drilling him to mid-wicket. Steel then thick-edged Hogan to third man before Clark did the same to Lloyd, besides a more authentic boundary with a savage square-cut.
After a flurry of singles had taken Durham to the 50-mark, Clark straight drove Hogan before nurdling Lloyd through the slips. Steel also pulled Lloyd for four before van der Gugten returned shortly before lunch in tandem with the off-spin of Andrew Salter. Clark continued to impress with a classical cover-drive for four against the Dutchman.