142 from Jacques Rudolph – the 50th century of his first-class career - steered Glamorgan to 342/7 at the close of the second day of their rain-affected friendly against Cardiff MCCU at The SSE SWALEC .
Evening update
When play resumed at 4.25pm, Aneurin Donald was quickly into his stride as he cover-drove Tim Rouse for four before Jacques Rudolph reverse-swept Aron Nijjar to the ropes. Donald then greeted the introduction of Neil Brand’s left-arm spin by harpooning him over mid-wicket for six. Rudolph also drilled successive balls from Rouse high over long-on for six before holing out at mid-off attempting a third.
With Chris Cooke as his new partner, Donald also lofted Brand over long-on for six before the students took the new ball after 80 overs with the Welsh county on 289/4. Andrew Brewster and Ollie Pike duly returned to the attack with Cooke punching the former off the back foot for four through point and then pulling the latter for six over square-leg. But Pike made the perfect riposte by re-arranging Cooke’s stumps with his next delivery as Glamorgan lost their fifth wicket on 301.
Craig Meschede duly joined forces with Donald who pulled Brewster for four followed by a scooped six over square-leg as he reached his fifty from 62 deliveries. Meschede also on-drove Pike for four before also being bowled by the former pupil of Cowbridge School with Glamorgan on 325/6. Donald responded by pulling him for another rasping four, followed by a lofted drive for six, but Pike continued to fillet the middle-order as next ball Donald miscued a drive into the hands of mid-off.
After a couple of further overs, the light deteriorated and the players left the field with drizzle soon setting in again as play was called off for the day at 6pm.
Morning update
Just 35.4 overs were possible yesterday on the first day of a record-breaking contest which will see the Welsh county complete – for the first-ever time - a first-class match in the U.K. before the end of March. Global warming may have been in the minds of the fixture schedulers when planning the 2017 schedule, but rather than a mild Spring, it was the premature arrival of April showers that blighted the efforts of all concerned yesterday with no play possible after 2pm as band after band of rain crossed the ground.
Fortunately, the precipitation had abated this morning, allowing a prompt resumption at 11.00 a.m. under gun-metal grey skies with Glamorgan on 122/1 and Jacques Rudolph just 37 runs short of his 50th first-class century. It was David Lloyd though who struck the day’s first boundary as he square-cut Andrew Brewster for four. Lloyd also drilled Pike through cover point for four before pulling the youngster to backward square-leg. He followed this with another cover driven four against Brewster, plus a pull for four to the next delivery.
But with the total on 158, Aron Nijjar returned to the attack and bowled Lloyd for 35. Kiran Carlson duly joined Rudolph and began with a series of quickly scampered singles before the Glamorgan captain twice cover-drove Nijjar for four as he entered the nineties. He duly reached his coveted landmark with a cover drive for three against Jeremy Lawlor – his 180th delivery – besides breaking Mark Wallace’s record for the earliest first-class hundred for the Welsh county, set on March 31st, 2012 when the recently retired wicket-keeper made 122* against Oxford MCCU at The Parks.
Rudolph celebrated by twice swatting Pike to the point boundary for further boundaries before Carlson brought up the fifty stand with cover driven fours against both Lawlor and Pike, besides a rasping square-cut against the latter. The studnets then switched to an all-spin attack as Tim Rouse entered the fray, and in his second over he found the edge of Carlson's bat as Jack Scriven completed the catch.
Once again, rain fell after lunch and prevented any play in the afternoon session. After an inspection at 3pm, the umpires agreed to take tea at 3.40pm and to resume at 4.25pm.