Surrey beat Glamorgan by nine wickets at Colwyn Bay

The Snowdonia National Park which skirts the skyline of the ground at Rhos-on-Sea is famed for its rugged topography, shaped by millions of years of geomorphic processes, with phases of igneous activity and glacial periods creating the beautiful scenery. Over the years, many of the spectators who gladly undertake the annual pilgrimage to the North Wales coast for this annual festival of county cricket have taken time out to enjoy the spectacular views which these warm and cool phases in the geological past have created.

Today however, Glamorgan's supporters will be hoping that their side does not blow hot and cold as they look to bat out the remaining 96 overs of the contest, for much of which Surrey have been in the driving seat, with the Welsh county starting the fourth and final day still 175 runs in arrears and with eight wickets remaining.

Murray Goodwin and Ben Wright duly resumed their partnership which had began in the final hour last night after off-spinner Gareth Batty had prized out both Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg, but after an opening over of left-arm spin by Zafar Ansari, it was the pace and seam of Chris Tremlett and Matthew Dunn which they faced under a heavy cloud cover and with temperatures much lower than in previous days.

Goodwin cover drove Tremlett for four and then after twenty-five minutes Batty returned at the Embankment End. In his second over he was also cover driven by the veteran batsman who then unfurled a high-class on-drive when Dunn switched to the Penrhyn Avenue End. But next ball, the youngster made the breakthrough with Glamorgan on 224 and still 133 runs behind, as he trapped Goodwin leg before.

Chris Cooke joined Wright who after a series of singles with Goodwin, clipped Dunn to the ropes at mid-wicket for his first boundary of the session. But it also proved to be his last as in Dunn's next over, he also departed l.b.w. as Glamorgan slipped further to 232/4. Jim Allenby announced his arrival by sweeping Batty over the Pavilion for six before Ansari returned half an hour before lunch as Surrey switched to an all-spin attack, and looking to take the new ball before the interval.

Cooke responded by cutting Batty for four before Allenby drilled him to wide long-on before Surrey claimed the new ball with Glamorgan on 270/4.

Resuming after lunch on 282/4, Chris Cooke and Jim Allenby faced the new ball pairing of Matthew Dunn and Chris Tremlett as Surrey strove to break the stand which in the seventy minutes before the interval had held firm against the combination of spin and seam. It duly took Dunn just five balls to make the breakthrough as Allenby edged a drive to Rory Burns at third slip, as Mark Wallace made his way to the middle with his side on 284/5.

The Club captain began by clipping Dunn to the ropes at mid-wicket before Cooke drilled the same bowler to long-on as he switched to the Penrhyn Avenue End. Dunn then induced an outside edge from Cooke's bat which flew through the slip cordon, but there was nothing to chance about his next four as he again drilled Dunn to long-on.

Gareth Batty then returned at the Embankment End whilst Tom Curran switched ends, with Cooke watchfully guiding him through the gully for four en route to a patient fifty from 118 balls. He then swept Batty for four before Zafar Ansari replaced the off-spinner, with Arun Harinath's occasional medium pace also being used in an attempt to break the stubborn stand. With the scores level, it did the trick as firstly he had Wallace caught behind by Gary Wilson before four balls later clean bowling Ruaidhri Smith as Glamorgan slipped to 361/7.

Dunn and Curran duly returned to the attack shortly before tea as Surrey looked to polish off the Glamorgan resistance.but Cooke defiantly pulled Dunn for four

Glamorgan began the final session on 375/7 leading by eighteen runs and with only three wickets remaining, but this swiftly became two as to the eighth ball after the interval , Will Owen swatted a short ball from Matthew Dunn back over the bowler's head with Chris Tremlett running in from mid-off and completing a low diving catch. Next over, it became 382/9 as Dean Cosker was stumped as he stretched forward to Ansari,


Cooke defiantly pulled Dunn for two fours, but after driving Ansari for four, Michael Hogan was bowled by the spinner as Glamorgan were dismissed for 398 having lost their last five wickets for 41 in the space of 9.3 overs.


This left Surrey with a target of 42 in the remaining 25 overs and to the fifth ball of their innings, Rory Burns swatted a short ball from Owen into Hogan's hands at mid-on. Arun Harinath duly joined Ansari and the pair guided Surrey to their target in the 13^th over with no further alarms.