Glamorgan’s defeat by three runs last night at Grace Road in their Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire equalled the Club’s record for the narrowest margin of defeat by runs in first-class cricket.
Whilst Glamorgan have lost on nine occasions by one wicket – the most recent being last year at Colwyn Bay against Sussex – their three-run defeat yesterday at Grace Road equaled their record for the narrowest loss by the margin of runs in Championship cricket despite the six-hitting efforts of Marchant de Lange (seen in the photo above).
In 1938 they also lost by three runs against Worcestershire at Llanelli in a low-scoring contest at the Stradey Park ground. The visitors batted first and were dismissed for 71 with local hero Emrys Davies claiming 5/19. Glamorgan then scored 103 before Worcestershire replied with 192 with Davies completing a ten-wicket match haul with figures of 5/55. But the target of 161 proved to be too much for the Welsh county’s batsmen as Reg Perks claimed four wickets and Dick Howarth five as Glamorgan were bundled out for 157 to give Worcestershire an unexpected victory after their modest first innings score.
Other narrow defeats by the margin of runs came at Cardiff Arms Park, firstly in 1954 when Derbyshire won by five runs, and then in 1957 when Yorkshire were the victors by four runs.