David Lloyd made an attractive 82 and shared a century stand with Kiran Carlson as Glamorgan amassed 281/9 in 50 overs after being put in to bat by Gloucestershire in their friendly against at The SSE SWALEC. Torrential rain in the interval between innings however led to the match being called off.
After a day which saw washouts at all of the first-contests and more umbrellas than Easter bonnets, Glamorgan’s cricketers resumed their pre-season preparations with a 50-overs friendly against Gloucestershire. After a slight delay for mopping-up operations to be completed, play began at 11am with Glamorgan losing both openers in the second over as Nick Selman firstly edged a square-cut against Callum Gregory and was caught by the wicket-keeper., before three balls later Aneurin Donald departed l.b.w.
Connor Brown then unfurled a sumptuous cover drive against Adrian Neill, before David Lloyd did the same against Gregory, but with the total on 18, Neill – who has played for Scotland A – clean bowled Brown. Lloyd then struck a pair of fours against Gregory. Kiran Carlson then greeted the spin of Tom Smith by dispatching him through extra cover followed by a deft flick to long-leg when George Drissell entered the attack. Lloyd also clipped the young spinner for six over the head of mid-wicket.
Carlson added two further off-driven fours to his tally before striking a free hit to third man to bring up the 50-stand in 47 balls. Lloyd also drilled Smith through mid-off for four before pulling successive deliveries from Jack Gibbs to the ropes at mid-wicket. He then brought up the hundred by pulling a no-ball from Gregory into the Grandstand for six. He duly completed a 51-ball fifty by pulling Neill to the boards and he celebrated by on-driving the next ball for another four.
But their jaunty stand ended with the total on 131 in the 20th over as Carlson miscued a pull to square-leg and departed for 38. But with Chris Cooke as his new partner, Lloyd continued to find the ropes as he pulled Neill for six followed by another sweetly-timed cover drive. Cooke opened his account by off-driving Jacob Lintott for four, but the left-arm spinner ended Lloyd’s spell at the crease as he bowled the Glamorgan man for 82.
Cooke also departed to Lintott as with the total on 180 he was adjudged l.b.w Jack Murphy and Craig Meschede then joined forces with the latter on-driving Tom Smith for four whilst Murphy accumulated mainly in singles, but having brought up the 200, Murphy advanced down the wicket to Tom Smith and was bowled. Meschede and Andrew Salter continued to calmly work the ball around until, with the total on 230, the former drilled a ball back to George Drissell and departed caught and bowled.
Ruadhri Smith began by reverse-sweeping Drissell as Salter continued to accumulate in one’s and two’s before opening his shoulders in the closing overs and straight-driving Drissell for four. Smith also harpooned Gibbs for six over square-leg. Salter then perished at long-on in the penultimate over before Smith swatted another six over point before hoisting Drissell over mid-wicket for another maximum as Glamorgan ended on 281/9.
Torrential rain and hailstones then fell during the interval between innings as the match was called off shortly after 3pm.