Kent lead by 358 runs at the end of day two in Cardiff

Over the years much has been written about the impact of the weather on cricket, especially the influence of cloud cover, and proceedings yesterday at the SSE SWALEC were a case in point as ten wickets tumbled for 115 runs in the space of 29.3 overs after tea with the seam and swing bowlers coming into their own after a bank of cloud had built up over the Welsh capital. Indeed, the overhead conditions had been very different during the first two sessions as Kent cruised to 259/4 at tea, before losing six wickets after the interval, before the clatter of timber continued in the final hour as Glamorgan slipped to 65/4.


The home side were therefore hoping that conditions would be back in the batsmen's favour, thereby allowing some more partnerships to be established. But there was though a decent cloud cover when play resumed at 10.30am, with an autumnal feeling in the air, and Andrew Salter departed to the second ball of the day as Darren Stevens re-arranged his stumps with a swinging delivery. Aneurin Donald duly joined Cooke and began assertively as he steered Stevens through backward point for four. However, Stevens beat the outside, and inside edge on a couple of occasions as he continued to extract lavish lateral movement, and with the total on 91, another in-swinger accounted for the teenage batsman as he was bowled by the wily veteran.


91/6 duly became 101/7 as Matt Hunn replaced Matt Coles at the River End and with his third delivery he ended Cooke's stay in the middle as he edged a ball into the wicket-keeper's gloves. Craig Meschede responded by despatching successive balls from Hunn through backward point and mid-off for four, whilst Graham Wagg on-drove Stevens for another well-timed boundary.


With the cloud cover dissipating and sunshine bathing the SSE SWALEC, Meschede lofted Stevens high over mid-off for four. Wagg also drilled Hunn through mid-off for four before greeting the return of Adam Riley by sweeping the spinner to the ropes in front of the Grandstand. Meschede then swept and cover drove successive balls from Riley for further boundaries but two balls later, he planted an on-drive against the spinner into the hands of the fielder stationed at long-on.


With a couple of runs still needed to avoid the follow-on, Mark Wallace joined Wagg, but the latter then calmly flicked the next delivery from Hunn to fine-leg for two . In Riley's next over, Wagg despatched him for a further four through mid-off as his tally of first-class runs this season approached the 800-mark for the first time in his career, before playing a pair of Zorro-esque slashes over point for four from successive deliveries against Hunn.


Wallace opened his account by sweeping Riley, but the spinner gained revenge as next over he bowled the acting Glamorgan captain. Michael Hogan then despatched his first ball through point for four before Wagg went to his fifty from 56 balls by driving Riley for six and four from successive balls. He added a further six next ball, but holed out at long-on to the next as Glamorgan ended on 207.

With Glamorgan having been dismissed before lunch for 207 inside 44 overs, Kent began their second innings - 102 runs to the good - and with 67 overs remaining in the day's quota. Michael Hogan and Graham Wagg shared the new ball with Daniel Bell-Drummond and Rob Key each opening their accounts with a booming off- and on-drive respectively. The former then drove Wagg for two fours in three balls before Key maintained the helter-skelter pace by steering Hogan through backward point for another four.


The fifty was brought up as Bell-Drummond inside-edged Craig Meschede for four to fine-leg before the opener twice on-drove David Lloyd for further boundaries. Lloyd then found the edge of Bell-Drummond's bat, but the ball flew high between the slip and wicket-keeper before speeding away to third man for four, with Bell-Drummond celebrating his good fortune by on-driving Lloyd for another boundary.


After 20 overs of seam and swing, Andrew Salter entered the attack at the Cathedral Road End and in his third over an on-drive by Key brought up the century stand. Bell-Drummond then completed a 77-ball fifty by on-driving Wagg for three . Glamorgan then switched to an all-spin attack with Colin Ingram's leg-spin appearing, and it was Salter who ended the opening stand as Bell-Drummond edged to slip.


114/1 saw Joe Denly arrive in the middle having overcome the bout of illness which had affected him yesterday and resulted in him appearing down the order.

Kent are **** at the close of the second day of their LV=County Championship match against Glamorgan at the SSE SWALEC, after securing a first innings lead of 102 over the Welsh county.


Having reached 124/1 at tea, and secured a first innings lead of 226, Rob Key and Joe Denly were looking to further build Kent's respectable lead. The former then completed his second fifty of the game from 106 balls by sweeping Andrew Salter for two. Colin Ingram continued his frugal spell at the River End but in his fourth over of the session Denly on-drove the leg-spinner for four.


Key reverse-swept Salter for four, before both batsmen played an orthodox sweep for four as the off-spinner briefly switched to around the wicket. Michael Hogan then returned at the River End and was deftly late cut by Key before the Australian was pulled for six by Denly. The latter then nearly pulled a long-hop from Ingram to the fielder on the mid-wicket boundary before Key completed the 54^th first-class century of his career as he on-drove Meschede for four - his 167^th delivery - and later in the over Denly reached his fifty from 99 balls by on-driving the on-loan all-rounder.


Key had a moment of good fortune as again he inside-edged a flamboyant drive against Wagg before Denly greeted the return of David Lloyd by pulling him for four. Wagg then switched to his slower style with Andrew Salter also having another spell at the River End shortly before the close.