69 by Chris Cooke saw Glamorgan to 320 in their second innings and a lead of 217 on the third day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Northamptonshire at The SSE SWALEC. By the close the visitors were 42/1.
Evening Report
Glamorgan began the final session on 240/6, with an overall lead of 137 and Chris Cooke unbeaten on 67. The new ball though was only four overs away when play resumed, but in the final over before its availability Cooke departed as he edged a ball from Simon Kerrigan into David Murphy’s gloves. The spinners duly continued as Craig Meschede was joined by Marchant de Lange who began by on-driving Kerrigan for four before straight-driving Keogh for a huge six.
De Lange then harpooned Kerrigan to the mid-wicket ropes for six before Northants took the new ball for the 85th over with Glamorgan leading by 173 runs. Meschede responded by cover-driving Kleinveldt for four before De Lange pulled Kleinveldt for four and six as Glamorgan reached the 300-mark and came within one boundary of a 200-run lead. But one run later, Gleeson bowled de Lange for a Championship-best score of 39.
Lukas Carey duly joined Meschede but after clipping a single to square-leg he was bowled by Kleinveldt. The all-rounder then saw a difficult catch dropped at cover as Hogan miscued one of his haymakers before Hogan straight drove the South African for four, but with the total on 320, Gleeson trapped Meschede l.b.w.
Northamptonshire’s target was 218 with thirteen overs remaining tonight, plus 96 tomorrow, and Glamorgan nearly made inroads in the second over but de Lange could not quite grasp the ball drilled back to him by Duckett in his follow-through. He celebrated his good fortune by guiding Carey through the slips for four as well as clipping him to square-leg for four.
Duckett also straight-drove Carey for four before clipping Hogan to square-leg for another boundary followed by a cover-driven four. But with 2.1 overs remaining, Hogan had the opener caught behind by a diving Cooke. With the light becoming gloomy, Andrew Salter bowled the penultimate over as night-watchman Simon Kerrigan joined Newton, but conditions were not good enough for the last over as bad light ended play with Northants still requiring 176 and Glamorgan a further nine wickets.
Afternoon Update
Resuming on 136-4, Glamorgan lost their fifth wicket in the second over of the session as Colin Ingram was bowled by Azharullah. Richard Gleeson returned to the attack at the River End and was square-cut for four by Chris Cooke whilst Andrew Salter got off the mark by inside-edging the seamer to fine-leg. There was nothing fortuitous though about his next boundary as he pulled Gleeson gleefully to mid-wicket.
Cooke then leg-glanced Simon Kerrigan for four before twice cover-driving Rory Kleinveldt when the all-rounder returned at the Cathedral Road End. He then on-drove Kerrigan for two further fours before bringing up the 200 by doing the same to Kleinveldt, followed by a hook for four against him. Cooke then completed his fifty from 64 balls by clipping Azharullah to mid-wicket but his stand with Salter was ended with the total on 208 as Rob Keogh replaced Kerrigan at the River End and bowled Salter with his first delivery.
Craig Meschede announced his arrival by cover-driving Keogh for four before Cooke square-drove Azharullah for another boundary.
Morning Report
Twenty years ago this week, the eyes of the cricketing world were fixed on Taunton as Glamorgan secured a famous victory over Somerset to clinch the 1997 County Championship title. There is plenty of interest in the current round of matches on events at Taunton where Lancashire are currently following-on against the West Country side and should they lose today and Essex defeat Warwickshire, the Chelmsford-based club will secure the Division One title.
It’s a feather in Glamorgan’s cap that they were the last team to defeat Essex in Championship cricket with their stirring victory coming by eleven runs on September 15th last year and following a fine recovery from the potentially perilous position of 34-5 on the first morning. The turnaround followed a maiden hundred by Kiran Carlson plus some spirited batting in the Welsh county’s second innings and Glamorgan’s supporters were anticipating more of the same this morning as their side began the day on 63-1 trailing Northamptonshire by 40 runs.
But Jack Murphy departed lbw to the fifth ball of the morning as Rory Kleinveldt made an early strike, and 63/2 then became 68/3 as Kleinveldt struck again as Jacques Rudolph miscued a drive to Josh Cobb at extra-cover. The burly all-rounder then found the edge of Colin Ingram’s bat but the ball did not quite carry to first slip. Together with Kiran Carlson, the obdurate Ingram accumulated solely in singles as the visiting seamers maintained a probing line and length, but after fifty-five minutes play Carlson cover-drove Azharullah for the day’s first boundary.
In the Pakistani’s next over, Ingram guided him to third man for a second four before Carlson repeated the stroke when Gleeson replaced Kleinveldt, followed by a punched drive square of the wicket against Gleeson. Ingram then greeted the return of Simon Kerrigan by sweeping the spinner’s first ball for four as the arrears were wiped out. Carlson found the ropes again as he glanced Gleeson to fine-leg before Ingram pulled Azharullah for four.
Carlson then drilled Azharullah through mid-on for four, but shortly before lunch he under-edged a pull against the Pakistani and departed for 44. Rain then fell and forced the players from the field, with a resumption not taking place until 1.45pm with nine overs being lost.