Leicestershire are 202/1 replying to Glamorgan's 513/9 at Grace Road

On a day when a hundred by a South African-born batsman stole the cricketing headlines in a non first-class match against the student cricketers of Oxford, a sublime 111 by another man born in the Cape helped Glamorgan to reach 294/2 mid-way through the 73^rd over before bad light, and then rain brought a premature end to the opening day of the County Championship season at Grace Road.


Indeed, it was a good day for Glamorgan with Jacques Rudolph surviving a dropped catch before he had scored to go on and compile a handsome century and, together with Will Bragg, add a record 227 for the second wicket for the Welsh county against Leicestershire. Bragg, who also became the country's first home-grown batsman to score a Championship hundred, was still at the crease, unbeaten with a competition-best score of 113 when play ended half an hour after tea.


It was also the first time since Glamorgan's match at Lord's in 2009 that two Glamorgan batsmen had struck hundreds in the opening Championship game of the season. On that occasion, Mark Cosgrove made 120 and Mark Wallace 128, whilst - very poignantly - the late Phil Hughes scored a century in reply for Middlesex. Coincidentally, Steve Garratt was also one of the umpires in that contest half a dozen years ago at the St.John's Wood ground, and the former policeman was back in the middle at 11 o'clock this morning at Leicester as play resumed in less blustery conditions as Glamorgan's batsmen looked to consolidate on their excellent start yesterday.


With the new ball seven overs away, Ben Raine and Charlie Shreck resumed the bowling as Colin Ingram guided the latter through third man for four as the 300 was reached in the 77^th over. He then brought up the fifty partnership by steering Raine off the back foot through point for another boundary, before cover-driving the next delivery to the ropes. Bragg also on-drove Shreck to the mid-wicket boundary before the new ball was taken with Glamorgan on 314/2 after 80 overs.


It also prompted the return of Atif Sheikh at the Bennett End, and with his second delivery the left-armer ended Bragg's innings as the southpaw departed leg before for a career-best 120. Chris Cooke opened his account by square-cutting a long hop from Shreck before Ingram played the same stroke to a no-ball from Sheikh. Cooke then greeted the return of Olly Freckingham by nonchalantly despatching his first three deliveries through the off-side for four, but next over, and with the total on 354, the persevering Shreck bowled Ingram for 38.

His departure saw Mark Wallace join Cooke who continued to tuck into Freckingham's bowling as he drilled him through mid-off for four. Wallace then opened his account by doing the same to Shreck who was then driven through extra-cover for an all-run four by Cooke. But with the total on 373, the new ball claimed another victim as Wallace departed leg before to Freckingham for 10, and departed still needing a further seven runs to reach the career milestone of 10,000 runs in all first-class cricket.


With Graham Wagg as his new partner, Cooke despatched Shreck through mid-on and extra cover for four before exquisitely late-cutting Freckingham for another boundary. Wagg then on-drove Freckingham for four but next over he also departed l.b.w. as Raine returned to the attack to claim the sixth wicket on 396. Three balls later it became 396/7 as the innings stuttered again as Cooke drove Freckingham low into Ned Eckersley's hands at cover.


Craig Meschede then brought up the 400 with an on-drive for four against Freckingham before David Lloyd cover drove Sheikh for another four. Meschede added two further boundaries against Raine whilst Lloyd added another cover driven four to his tally shortly before lunch.

With five wickets having fallen for 127 runs in an action-packed morning session, Leicestershire's bowlers were looking to finish off the Glamorgan innings having bowled a fuller length than yesterday and finding more assistance from the surface in the cloudy conditions. Charlie Shreck returned to the attack at the Bennett End and was clipped to fine-leg by David Lloyd, whilst Ollie Freckingham at the Pavilion End was regally despatched through the covers and backward point by Craig Meschede.


Lloyd then on-drove Shreck for four before being struck on the helmet as he ducked another delivery from the tall seamer. However, he showed no ill effects as next over he nonchalantly clipped Shreck to the ropes at mid-wicket before drilling Freckingham to the boards at wide long-on. Meschede also elegantly square-drove Shreck before surviving a loud appeal for a catch behind against Shreck. However, the tall paceman claimed his wicket four balls later as Meschede spliced another short ball with Niall O'Brien completing the catch.


464/8 saw the evergreen Dean Cosker make his way to the middle as Lloyd pulled Shreck for a pair of fours but next over Cosker edged a drive against Freckingham into O'Brien's gloves before Lloyd completed a maiden Championship fifty by cross-batting Shreck in the air over backward point. He celebrated by swatting the bowler through mid-off for his ninth four as Andy Carter used the long handle, driving Ben Raine to long-off and backward point in successive balls for four, before inside-edging another haymaker to fine-leg followed by a lofted swipe to mid-wicket as the 500-mark was passed. After a further flurry of lusty blows , Glamorgan declared on 513/9 at the end of the 120^th over with Lloyd unbeaten on 59.


With Leicestershire having fifteen overs to face before tea, Carter duly opened the bowling with Graham Wagg and was soon hooked and on-driven for a pair of fours by Dan Redfern who also top-edged another hook against the paceman with the ball just clearing the out-stretched hands of the fielder at long-leg for six. His partner Angus Robson opened his account with a five against Wagg as a scampered single also saw four overthrows as the fielder at cover attempted to run out the batsman at the bowler's end.


Redfern added further to his tally by cover-driving Wagg for four but later in the over he miscued another drive and a diving Cooke at cover point held onto the ball as the home side lost their first wicket on 33. Ned Eckersley got off the mark by edging Wagg through the slip cordon before Robson did the same in Craig Meschede's opening over. Dean Cosker also had a short spell before tea, during which Robson struck him for four through the covers.

Leicestershire had reached 59/1 at tea and after the interval, Andy Carter switched to the Pavilion End and induced a couple of inside edges from Ned Eckersley's bat. Craig Meschede resumed at the Bennett End and also found the edge of Eckersley's bat as the batsman secured another four through the slip cordon. Robson then secured a pair of three's against each bowler before Eckersley secured a five, courtesy of another overthrow as the 100 came up in the 22^nd over.


Dean Cosker then returned to the attack at the Bennett End and was both cut for four as well as being pulled for six by Robson who then cover drove Graham Wagg for four to complete a 77-ball fifty before two balls later on-driving the left-armer for another boundary. Eckersley also pulled a long hop from Wagg for four before adding a cover against the same bowler. Robson then upper cut Wagg over backward point for six to bring up the century stand.


Eckersley duly added further to the boundary count as he cover drove Wagg before David Lloyd entered the fray at the Bennett End and bowled in tandem with Cosker, who was also cover driven by Eckersley as he completed a 78-ball fifty. Lloyd then found the edge of his bat by the ball just evaded Cosker at second slip, with Eckersley celebrating his good fortune by cover driving Lloyd for another boundary as the course of the Leicestershire innings mirrored that of the visitor's,

Robson also late cut Lloyd behind point for four, before Eckersley struck successive balls from the all-rounder to the mid-wicket ropes as the second wicket pair continued to chisel away at the deficit in the evening sunshine, before Leicestershire secured their first batting point shortly before the close.