An unbeaten 76 by Jacques Rudolph plus a maiden fifty by Nick Selman helped Glamorgan to 291/7 at the end of the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Sussex at Hove.
Close of Play Report
Having reached 190/4 at tea, Glamorgan were looking to consolidate after the interval, knowing that the new ball was sixteen overs away. The spinners, Danny Briggs and Will Beer, duly resumed the bowling duties as Rudolph and Lloyd continued their quiet accumulation, although Rudolph dispatched Briggs for successive fours as his side secured their first batting point.
Lloyd also deftly dabbed Beer square of the wicket for four, before clipping Briggs to mid-wicket for four. Chris Nash and Luke Wells also had short spells as Sussex hurried through to the new ball with Lloyd harpooning Wells into the hospitality boxes at mid-wicket.
Rudolph’s patience was rewarded as the visiting captain reached his fifty from 124 balls shortly before the new ball was taken with Ajmal Shahzad and Steve Magoffin returning to the fray. The latter made an immediate impact as he trapped Lloyd leg before with the total on 242. After further quiet accumulation, the Glamorgan captain clipped Shahzad to the boards at mid-wicket but shortly afterwards the bowler removed Graham Wagg for 7 as Ross Taylor completed a sharp catch with Glamorgan on 259/6.
Rudolph responded by pulling Stuart Whittingham for four but with the total on 271, Craig Meschede edged Steve Magoffin to Nash as the visitors lost their third wicket to the new ball. Debutant Owen Morgan joined Rudolph and began with a couple of pulls against the home seamers, including a huge six over deep backward square-leg against Magoffin as Glamorgan ended the day on 291/7.
Teatime Report
Despite a lunchtime shower, play resumed with Glamorgan on 96/1, Nick Selman and Will Bragg saw Glamorgan into three figures, with the former also completing a maiden first-class fifty in only his second Championship match from 100 deliveries.
Bragg – in his 100th first-class match - continued his watchful accumulation as he glanced Stuart Whittingham to fine-leg but, with the total on 106, the young paceman trapped Selman leg before for 52. Jacques Rudolph duly replaced Selman before Bragg crisply drilled the young paceman to long-on. But it proved to be his final runs as the southpaw edged Magoffin to Chris Nash at second slip as Sussex secured their first bowling point.
With the total on 112/3 Aneurin Donald joined his captain and he began with a brace of classical drives square of the wicket, whilst Rudolph after a quiet start, steered Steve Magoffin to third man besides on-driving Shahzad to the ropes followed by a superb off-drive against the seamer. Sussex then re-introduced the leg-spin of Will Beer into the attack and the change did the trick as the youngster ended Donald’s elegant cameo as he bowled him in his fourth over.
David Lloyd joined his captain who added another cover drive to his tally as he dispatched Whittingham through extra cover, before Lloyd pulled the penultimate ball of the session to the leg-side ropes.
Lunch Report
The opener was one of two changes to the Glamorgan side from the one which drew with Kent a fortnight ago. With Chris Cooke having a minor back ailment, Selman came into the line-up, whilst left-arm spinner Owen Morgan replaced Andrew Salter. Selman duly opened the batting with Mark Wallace after Jacques Rudolph won the toss. He duly struck a pair of boundaries in the early overs, pulling a short ball from Steve Magoffin, whilst Wallace also did the same to Ajmal Shahzad. Selman survived a sharp chance to the slip fielders as he edged Shahzad before clipping the bowling to mid-wicket.
Wallace then unfurled a fine cover drive against Shahzad but Stuart Whittingham made the breakthrough as Wallace – with the total on 41 - inside-edged a delivery from the young paceman into Ben Brown’s gloves behind the stumps. Will Bragg duly joined Selman and accumulated quietly as Glamorgan reached the 50-mark after 65 minutes play. Selman – on 26 - had a second life as Danny Briggs at fine-leg spilled a chance as the opener miscued a pull against Magoffin.
Selman then punched Shahzad square of the wicket for another forcing boundary, before Sussex, having chosen two spinners on the easy-paced surface, introduced Danny Briggs’ left-arm spin forty minutes before lunch. He nearly bowled Selman in his fourth over before leg-spinner Will Beer entered the attack shortly before the interval and was on-driven by Selman.