Glamorgan begin their preparation for the Bob Willis Trophy today.
(writes Andrew Hignell)
Close of Play Report – Day Two
Michael Hogan’s XI were 92/4 at tea requiring 175 from the 43 remaining overs when the final session began. Graham Wagg and Andrew Salter resumed the bowling with the latter being off-driven for four by Carlson before being pulled to square-leg as he completed a 103-ball fifty. He celebrated by pulling Wagg for another boundary before lofting Salter back over his head for a straight six.
With Friend dropping anchor at the other end, Carlson continued to play assertively, on-driving Salter for four before deftly nurdling him to third man. Friend then struck his first boundary as he pulled Wagg for four before Prem Sisodiya had a spell at the River End with Marchnat de Lange returning at the Cathedral Road End. Carlson continued to find the ropes as he clipped de Lange to square-leg, whilst Friend straight-drove Sisodiya for four.
Carlson also drove Sisodiya for four over mid-off, followed by a sweep for four as the equation became 104 to win from 30 overs. But next over with Carlson on 91, he slashed at a ball outside off stump and feathered a catch to Alex Horton who had taken over after the interval behind the stumps. Ruaidhri Smith joined Friend who again impressed by cover-driving Sisodiya before Billy Root and Callum Taylor had a spell in tandem.
Smith biffed Taylor to long-on before Friend drilled Root through mid-wicket. Smith also cover-drove Root but next over, and with the total on 193, he became the sixth man to depart as he drove Taylor to Carey at mid-off. Kieran Bull began by steering Root through backward point whilst Friend cover drove Taylor to move even closer to a half-century.
Bull then off-drove Root as the target became 51 from 12 overs before the youngster from Monmouth School pulled Root for four to complete his fifty from 120 balls. Bull repeated the stroke in Taylor’s next over before harpooning Andrew Salter for six over wide long-on. Carey also returned to the attack with 30 needed in eight overs before Bull cover drove Salter for four.
Friend also on-drove Salter for four followed by a cover-driven three before Bull cover drove Carey leaving just two needed from the last three overs. After a bye, Bull drilled a full toss from Salter back over his head for four to win the game by four wickets with Friend unbeaten on 68 and Bull 42 not out.
Afternoon update – Day Two
Following the declaration at lunch, Michael Hogan’s XI required 267 from the remaining 76 overs as Charlie Hemphrey and Owen Morgan opened the batting facing the new ball pairing of Graham Wagg and Lukas Carey. Hemphrey began with a cover driven four but in the fifth over, and with the total on 9, he was run out after a smart pick-up and throw by Andrew Salter.
Kiran Carlson duly made his way to the middle and after a single he could have returned but, as he edged Graham Wagg to Nick Selman at second slip, the umpire signalled for a no-ball. Morgan responded by off-driving the left-armer for four, prior to gliding Wagg to third man for another four, but the vergreen all-rounder gained revenge as, with the total on 30, he trapped Morgan l.b.w. with an in-swinging yorker.
Dan Douthwaite joined Carlson who cover drove Carey for four before edging Marchant de Lange over the edge of the slip cordon for four. Douthwaite opened his account with an expansive drive for four against Joe Cooke but he then edged a drive against de Lange and was caught by Chris Cooke.
52/3 saw Tom Cullen make his way to the middle but he also fell to the Cooke-de Lange combination as he also feathered a catch to the wicket-keeper as 67/4 saw Harry Friend become Carlson’s new partner. Carlson greeted the return of Carey by firmly pulling him for four before drilling him through extra-cover for another boundary as Michael Hogan’s Xi reached 92/4 at tea with Carlson unbeaten on 41.
Morning Report – Day Two
After the early finish yesterday, play began at 1000 this morning with 105 overs remaining in the contest with Chris Cooke’s XI on 146/2 after 45 overs. Both overnight batsmen retired prior to the start of play so it was Chris Cooke and Callum Taylor who began proceedings with the former pulling a ball from Kieran Bull for four in the opening over, but Cooke then edged Jamie McIlroy’s first ball into the hands of Charlie Hemphrey at second slip.
153/3 saw the arrival of Alex Horton to the middle and the young tyro made a confident start pulling and cover driving Bull for a pair of sweetly-timed fours. But in McIlroy’s third over of the day he gloved a pull against the left-armer and was safely caught by Tom Cullen. 164/4 heralded the arrival of Graham Wagg who began by sweeping Bull for four prior to clipping McIlroy to fine-leg. The all-rounder also on-drove McIlroy to the boards at mid-wicket before doing the same to Ruaidhri Smith when he returned to the attack .
With Taylor content to accumulate in singles, Wagg continued to be the dominant partner as he reverse-swept Bull for four, followed by a cover-drive and then a four off the back foot through mid-off when Dan Douthwaite replaced Bull at the River End. But Wagg’s merry spree ended when Hogan returned to the attack as he edged the wily veteran into Cullen’s gloves. 242/5 saw Andrew Salter join Taylor and he began with a booming cover drive against Roman Walker, followed next ball by a ferocious pull for four.
In Walker’s next over, Salter found the ropes again at wide long-on before Taylor launched the youngster over long-off for six. He also deftly square-cut Walker for four before the declaration came at 12.15pm with Chris Cooke's team on 266/5 followed by a double forfeiture and a run chase for Michael Hogan’s team in the remaining 76 overs.
Afternoon Report – Day One
Resuming on 75/2 after lunch, Nick Selman and Billy Root faced the return of Michael Hogan and Ruaidhri Smith. Selman glanced Smith to fine-leg for four before on-driving Hogan for three whilst Root nonchalantly flicked Hogan to the ropes at backward square-leg. Selman also clipped Smith again to the boards at long-leg en route to a 96-ball fifty. Root then greeted the return of Dan Douthwaite by off-driving him for four before gliding successive deliveries from Smith in front of, and behind, point for a pair of well-timed fours.
With Selman accumulating in singles, Root continued to play the role of the aggressor as he twice off-drove Douthwaite for further boundaries as he completed his fifty from 92 balls with a handsome cover drive against the all-rounder. Selman then pulled McIlroy for four besides clipping him to fine-leg, but the drizzle which had been falling for most of the session then intensified forcing the players off the field with Salter’s XI on 146/2 as early tea was taken. The rains however continued and play was called off for the day at 4pm.
Lunchtime Report – Day One
The second of the intra-squad warm-up games at Sophia Gardens began this morning in contrasting overhead conditions to Tuesday. Whereas the T20 games had been staged under clear blue skies, there was plenty of cloudy cover as the two-day contest began at 10.30 this morning with Michael Hogan’s XI opting to bowl first in the overcast conditions. Nick Selman and Joe Cooke opened the batting for Chris Cooke’s XI with the former on-driving Ruaidhri Smith for the day’s first boundary, followed two overs later by a rasping square-cut against the same bowler.
Cooke also on-drove Hogan for four before Selman greeted the introduction of Dan Douthwaite into the attack by punching him through extra cover, followed by a clip to square-leg against Jamie McIlroy. He also on-drove Roman Walker to see his side to the 50-mark in the 19th over, before Cooke steered Douthwaite through backward point for four.
After ninety minutes play Kieran Bull entered the attack and the off-spinner struck with his first ball as Cooke edged a ball into Tom Cullen’s gloves before next ball Connor Brown feathered an edge down the leg-side which was smartly taken by the wicket-keeper. Billy Root survived the hat-trick delivery before next over off-driving Walker for four before shortly afterwards clipping him to fine-leg for another boundary as Cooke’s XI reached lunch on 75/2 after 29 overs.