Andrew Hignell reports on day 2 of the Specsavers County Championship clash at Grace Road.
DAY TWO
Close of Play Report
Glamorgan resumed after tea on 165/2 with Nick Selman 26 runs short of his hundred, and he began with a fierce pull for three when Clint McKay returned to the fray. The Australian was also cut for four by Colin Ingram before being square-driven and on-driven yet again by Selman. Ingram then square-cut Raine to bring up the 100-stand before the 200 came up courtesy of another leg-side stroke by Selman.
The opener then on-drove Cameron Delport for four before reaching his century – his first in the Championship on English soil – by guiding Delport to third man. Next over Ingram clipped Raine to square-leg to complete a 94-ball fifty. He celebrated by lofting Harry Dearden for a pair of straight sixes before Selman drilled both Dearden and Neil Dexter through the covers for four. Ingram saw Glamorgan to 250 and another bonus point by cover-driving Shreck for four, before doing the same to Dexter.
However, with the total on 258, Selman’s innings came to an end as he was trapped l.b.w. by Charlie Shreck and departed for 117. Aneurin Donald began by driving Dexter for four through backward point but next over he chopped a ball from Dexter onto his stumps as Glamorgan lost their fourth wicket on 263.
Afternoon Report
Jacques Rudolph and Nick Selman began Glamorgan’s reply after lunch with the former leg-glancing and off-driving Clint McKay for a pair of well-timed fours. Rudolph also drilled Ben Raine to the ropes at long-off before driving McKay through mid-off and mid-on for further boundaries. The Glamorgan captain also unfurled a pair of crisp off-drives against Raine as he largely dealt with boundaries.
Selman struck his first four as he clipped McKay to long-leg before Rudolph brought up the 50 with a thick outside edge for four in Charlie Shreck’s first over. Selman then cover-drove McKay before Rudolph struck successive deliveries from Shreck to extra-cover and point. He then completed a 50-ball fifty by greeting Harry Dearden’s off-spin with a pair of straight driven fours.
Rudolph posted his 13th boundary as he steered Shreck to third man, but it proved to be his last as next over he departed for 58 as he was bowled by Dearden. 83/1 saw David Lloyd join Selman with the latter drilling Shreck through the covers for another four. But three overs later Lloyd departed l.b.w. to Raine.
Selman nearly edged Raine to fourth slip in the next over before Colin Ingram opened his account with a booming cover drive against Raine. Selman then greeted the return of Shreck by driving him to long-on before clipping him to mid-wicket to complete an 81-ball fifty. Ingram also off-drove Shreck for four before his partner on-drove the bowler to the ropes at mid-wicket followed by another on-driven four when Neil Dexter entered the attack.
Ingram also cover-drove Shreck before Selman brought up the fifty stand with a pull for four against the tall bowler. A deft glance to fine-leg by Ingram against Dexter then saw Glamorgan reach the 150-mark before Selman pulled another pair of short balls from Shreck for fours shortly before tea. The session ended with Ingram straight-driving Dexter for four.
Lunchtime Report
History was made yesterday as in all of the Championship matches in both divisions one and two, the visiting teams exercised their right to bowl and forego the traditional toss. Glamorgan’s bowlers had to wait until after lunch to claim their first victims at an overcast Grace Road as opener Harry Dearden survived a chance with just a single to his name, besides bearing nearly run out shortly afterwards before posting a maiden fifty.
It was Lukas Carey who deservedly claimed the first two victims in successive deliveries having delivered an exemplary opening spell when he repeatedly beat the bat. Andrew Salter also claimed a couple of wickets in a controlled spell of off-spin before Glamorgan claimed the new ball, with Leicestershire reaching 275/5 before bad light prompted an early finish. Glamorgan’s attack were looking to finish off the home side’s innings this morning as play began under clear blue skies in contrast to the gun-metal grey of yesterday morning.
Marchant de Lange and Carey resumed the bowling duties with the latter again finding the edge of Mark Pettini’s bat, only for the ball to fly through a vacant third slip and run away to the boundary rope. But later in the over, and with the total on 281, the youngster found the edge again, this time of Lewis Hill’s bat and Aneurin Donald completed the catch having returned to the slip cordon.
Next over, Donald held his second catch of the morning as Pettini also edged De Lange to third slip, before Zak Chappell got off the mark by inside-edging Carey for four. Having cover-driven Carey for four, Ben Raine brought up the 300 by pulling the youngster but the seamer then claimed the next wicket as Chappell also edged to third slip where Donald held his third catch of the morning.
One run later, Carey nearly claimed his maiden ‘five-for’ but Nick Selman at second slip fumbled the edge from Raine’s bat. Next over Clint McKay scythed Carey over the head of the slips for four before pulling the next delivery to the ropes at square-leg, followed by a booming off-drive for another firmly struck four. Raine added another four by inside-edging a drive against Michael Hogan to fine-leg before lofting the bowler over extra-cover.
Raine greeted the return of de Lange by off-heaving him for four followed by a swat over mid-wicket as the home side raced to 350. But nine runs later his merry spree ended as he top-edged another pull against de Lange into Chris Cooke’s gloves. Charlie Shreck and McKay then unfurled a few more lusty swipes with the latter clubbing Hogan to mid-wicket, whilst the former flat-batted de Lange through the covers for four as well as twice lofting him to the ropes at long-on.
Shreck also inside-edged a drive against Carey as the tenth wicket pair shared a half-century partnership but Ingram ended the innings as he bowled Shreck with the total on 420.