Glamorgan met Somerset in a two-day friendly at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton.
Head coach Matt Maynard named the following 12-man team for the Welsh county's first pre-season game of the summer: Lloyd (c), Cooke J, Salter, Northeast, Carlson, Root, Cooke C+, Cullen+, Weighell, Harris, vd Gugten, McIlroy.
The match scorecard can be found via NV Play HERE
Close of Play Report (Day Two)
For the second successive season, Glamorgan won their pre-season friendly at Taunton as they defeated Somerset by eight wickets with Andrew Salter (77*) and Sam Northeast (72*) sharing a match-winning stand of 151 in 35.2 overs.
When play began after tea, Glamorgan were 42-2 from 13 overs having been set a target of 151 from 42 overs by the West Country side. Kasey Aldridge and Ollie Sale resumed the bowling with the former being driven for four by Sam Northeast before the latter was dispatched through mid-on by Salter. Northeast continued to find his bearings as he drilled Aldridge through extra-cover for another boundary before Salter pulled the same bowler to the ropes behind square-leg.
The flurry of runs saw the return of Jack Brooks into the attack but after starting with a maiden, Salter punched him for fours off the front and back foot through the covers. Ben Green also returned to the fray and was clipped to fine-leg for four by Northeast, before the all-rounder was deposited over the ropes at square-leg by Salter who completed a 76-ball half-century in the grand manner.
Northeast on-drove and pulled successive balls from Brooks for four before completing his fifty from 81 balls. Salter greeted the return of Goldsworthy by lofting the spinner over long-off for six before Northeast dabbed Green through point for four. The pair continued to steadily accumulate as the shadows crept across the square and the target dropped into single figures, before Northeast hit the winnings runs with 5.2 overs to spare.
Play continued in the March sunshine for a further fifteen minutes until Roelof van der Merwe caught and bowled Salter for 84, with Northeast unbeaten on 81 and Glamorgan on 169-3.
Afternoon Update (Day Two)
Glamorgan are 42-2 from 13 overs at tea on the final day of their pre-season friendly at Taunton after having been set a target of 151 from 42 overs by the West Country side.
Somerset began the afternoon session on 40-1 with James Weighell and Andrew Salter resuming the bowling duties to Tom Abell and Lewis Goldsworthy. The latter unfurled a pair of cover drives for four against Weighell before Abell clipped him to the ropes at mid-wicket but there was little on offer as each bowler delivered a frugal spell to stifle Somerset’s hopes of quickly building on their lead.
After Goldsworthy had square-driven and cover-driven Salter for a pair of fours, David Lloyd also had a trundle before Somerset declared on 79-1 after batting for an hour after lunch. This meant that, with 42 overs remaining in the contest, Glamorgan were left with a target of 151 in 42 overs. But they lost Joe Cooke to the first ball of the innings as he edged Marchant de Lange into Steve Davies’ gloves before Lloyd departed l.b.w. to Ned Leonard during the second over. 2-2 nearly became 6-3 in Leonard’s third over as an edge from Sam Northeast’s bat just dropped short of second slip, whilst in his fourth over, an edge from Salter bisected the wicket-keeper and first slip before speeding away to the vacant ropes at third man.
Salter found the ropes again in de Lange’s next over as he drilled him through mid-off for four before pulling him over square-leg for six. He then greeted the introduction of Goldsworthy’s spin by on-driving him for four, before sweeping him for another boundary. Northeast also flicked Leonard to square-leg before on-driving Goldsworthy as the third wicket pair continued to make hay in the March sunshine.
Lunchtime Update (Day Two)
A seventh wicket stand of 96 between Chris Cooke (42*) and Tom Cullen (43) helped Glamorgan reach 152-7 before declaring midway through the second and final morning of their pre-season friendly with Somerset at Taunton. By lunch, the West Country side had extended their lead to 111 runs.
Glamorgan began under cloudless skies on 78-6, still 145 runs in arrears, but Chris Cooke was quickly into his stride in the opening over with a pair of drives to the mid-wicket ropes against Kasey Aldridge. Tom Cullen also cleverly nurdled the seamer through the slip cordon for four before losing his off-stump to a delivery which was called a no-ball by umpire Ian Blackwell. Cullen then celebrated his good fortune by drilling the bandana-wearing bowler to the boards at long-off before Cooke dispatched successive deliveries from Brooks for four through extra-cover, followed next over by a pair of sumptuous off-drives against Brooks.
Cullen continued to play assertively as Tom Abell and Marchant de Lange entered the attack, with the batter off-driving Abell for four and de Lange for three, before on-driving Abell for another well-timed boundary. However, Cullen’s doughty innings came to an end next over as he was trapped leg before by Abell, whereupon David Lloyd declared.
With his side leading by 71 runs, Abell opened the batting with wicket-keeper Steve Davies as James Harris and Jamie McIlroy again shared the new ball. After Abell survived a confident appeal for l.b.w. against Harris, Davies swatted a pair of fours against McIlroy, in addition to edging the left-armer just short of second slip. He then cover drove Harris for four before later in the over being well caught by a diving Andrew Salter at deep point. Having been joined by Lewis Goldsworthy, Abell then clipped McIlroy through square-leg before on-driving Harris to the ropes in the closing over of the morning session.
Evening Report (Day One)
Glamorgan are 78-6 at the end of the opening day of their two-day friendly against Somerset at Taunton and in reply to the home side’s first innings total of 223-4.
With Somerset having declared at tea, David Lloyd and Joe Cooke began Glamorgan’s first innings after the interval as Jack Brooks and Kasey Aldridge shared the new ball. Cooke began by cover-driving Aldridge for four before Lloyd did the same to Brooks. But the bandana-wearing bowler swiftly made amends next over as, with the total on 13, he trapped Lloyd l.b.w. Salter then made his way to the middle but his stay proved to be a brief one as, after posting a couple of runs, he was bowled shouldering arms to Brooks. 21-2 then became 21-3 as Cooke drilled Aldridge into the hands of George Bartlett at cover point.
Sam Northeast was joined by Kiran Carlson and the new signing began by flicking Brooks to long-leg. But Brooks made further inroads in his next over as Northeast also departed l.b.w . as the Welsh county slipped to 29-4. Billy Root then carved Aldridge through the gully for four before Carlson on-drove Tom Abell for four followed by a flowing off-drive to the ropes against de Lange. Root also pulled de Lange for four to bring up the fifty before Carlson unfurled a handsome cover drive against Abell. The home captain though had the last laugh as next ball Carlson edged into the gloves of wicket-keeper Steve Davies.
55-5 saw Chris Cooke join Root but one run later, the latter also departed leg before to Abell as Tom Cullen made his way to the middle. He began by cover-driving Abell for four before repeating the stroke when Ned Leonard entered the fray. Cullen added a third boundary to his tally as he glanced Ben Green to fine-leg.
Afternoon Report (Day One)
An unbeaten century from Tom Banton helped Somerset reach 223-4 at tea on the opening day of their two-day friendly against Glamorgan at Taunton.
With Somerset resuming on 88-2 after lunch, Timm van der Gugten returned to the attack together with Jamie McIlroy. Tom Banton struck van der Gugten through the covers for four but McIlroy, who had delivered a probing spell since lunch from the Old Pavilion End, was rewarded for his accuracy by having an l.b.w. appeal upheld against Lammonby after he had been struck on the pads playing half-forward to the left-armer.
95-3 saw the arrival in the middle of the vastly experienced James Hildreth as well as the return to the attack of James Weighell who had only conceded a solitary boundary in his six-over salvo before lunch. James Harris also returned for his third spell and was driven for a series of fours through the offside by Banton. David Lloyd then returned for another spell, in tandem with Andrew Salter, and was cover-driven by Banton as he completed a 91-ball fifty.
Hildreth also punched Salter for successive fours through extra-cover before Banton danced down the wicket to Salter and lofted him over long-on for six. The aggressive Banton twice repeated the stroke in Salter’s next over before pulling him behind square-leg for a third maximum in the over. He added another six over long-on in Salter’s next over to bring up the century stand for the fourth wicket.
Hildreth maintained the tempo by dispatching Joe Cooke for a brace of fours, but in attempting another flamboyant boundary he was caught by Salter on the cover point boundary as Somerset lost their fourth wicket with the total on 201. Lewis Goldsworthy joined Banton who duly reached his hundred, from 124 balls, shortly before tea as he lofted Weighell over mid-wicket for his sixth six.
Lunchtime Update (Day One)
Somerset are 88-2 at lunch on the opening day of their two-day friendly against Glamorgan at Taunton.
After Somerset had opted to bat first, James Harris and Jamie McIlroy shared the new ball with Ben Green striking the first boundaries of the season as he glanced the latter to fine-leg before next over clipping him through mid-wicket. After some watchful reconnaissance, his left-handed partner Tom Lammonby did the same to Harris before also clipping McIlroy to the boards at fine-leg followed by an on-drive for four against Harris.
Timm van der Gugten entered the attack in tandem with James Weighell after ten overs, whilst Lammonby continued to on-drive with assurance as he found the ropes at mid-wicket in the Dutchman’s second over before seeing his side to the fifty-mark in van der Gugten’s third over, during which the bowler also had a loud appeal for l.b.w. turned down against Green. The batter celebrated in the next over by clipping Weighell through wide mid-on for four but shortly afterwards he had his stumps re-arranged by van der Gugten.
60-1 saw George Bartlett join Lammonby who nearly became the second man to depart only for an outside edge just to evade the clutches of David Lloyd at first slip. However, the newly-appointed captain was not to be denied in Weighell’s next over as Bartlett edged a drive into Lloyd’s hands as Somerset lost their second wicket with the total on 65.
Tom Banton announced his arrival by off-driving van der Gugten before Lammonby greeted the return of Harris by pulling him to the boards at square-leg. Banton also found the ropes at mid-wicket in Lloyd’s opening over before striking him for another boundary in the penultimate over of the session.