Walters helps Glamorgan secure a draw at Grace Road

Yesterday was a topsy-turvy day for the Welsh county who after a fine opening stand of 137, subsequently lost nine wickets for 167 before a salvo of withering blows during a quick-fire fifty by Graham Wagg in a feisty last wicket stand with Will Owen helped Glamorgan avoid the possibility of being asked to follow-on. Leicestershire, starting with a lead of 141, then moved further ahead in the final session and were 218 runs to the good when bad light ended play early.


Starting the final day on 77/1, Ned Eckersley made his intentions clear as he on-drove the second ball of the day from Dean Cosker for six. Wagg was also in early action at the Bennett End as the two Leicestershire batsmen scampered a series of singles before Eckersley hoisted him to deep mid-wicket for another four. But next over he was stumped by Wallace before Niall O'Brien was promoted up the order to maintain the impetus towards a declaration.


Smith then struck Cosker for successive fours as he completed a 69-ball fifty but O'Brien then departed as Wallace completed a good diving catch to pouch an edge induced by Wagg. Rob Taylor then joined Smith and pulled Wagg for six over deep backward square-leg before biffing Cosker through the covers for four. But his cameo ended as Wagg uprooted his middle stump next over as the home side lost their fourth wicket on 132.


His departure saw Josh Cobb join Smith with the pair securing a series of singles with dabs and nudges before Cobb lofted Wagg for six. But in attempting the same stroke against Cosker he holed out to Jacques Rudolph at long-on with Leicestershire on 151/5. Two runs later Angus Robson drilled Wagg into Cosker's hands at cover as the home side lost another wicket in their pursuit of quick runs.


Their helter-skelter dash prompted a change in approach as with almost 80 overs remaining, crease occupation appeared their prime motive, but after a series of dot balls Ben Raine drilled Wagg to Stewart Walters at mid-off. After over half an hour without a boundary, Smith cut Wagg for four before almost being caught by Jim Allenby as he repeated the stroke against Cosker.


Smith then scythed Wagg through backward point for another boundary before Will Owen replaced Wagg who had delivered an unbroken hour and three-quarter spell at the Bennett End. He duly ended Smith's innings, albeit by deflecting a firm drive from Naik back onto the stumps with Smith who was backing up out of his ground. Leicestershire thereupon declared leaving Glamorgan a target of 321 in a minimum of 70 overs.

Both Jacques Rudolph and Gareth Rees struck boundaries in the short passage of play before lunch and after the interval, the pair plundered further fours as Rees pulled a short ball from Anthony Ireland to the ropes at square-leg before cover-driving Charlie Shreck, whilst Rudolph drilled Ireland through extra cover.


Another four came Rees' way as he off-drove Shreck before Rudolph struck him for successive fours through backward point and to long-leg. Rees then cover drove Ireland as for the second time in the match it looked as if the opening pair would reach the fifty-mark without being parted. But on 49 Rees edged Shreck into O'Brien's gloves as the Welsh county lost their first wicket.


With Will Bragg having recovered from his back spasm, the southpaw joined Rudolph and immediately got off the mark with a pair of glances to fine-leg. Rudolph continued to pepper the ropes as he elegantly drove Shreck again through extra cover. This prompted the introduction of Jigar Naik into the attack at the Pavilion End whilst Rob Tayloir began a spell at the Bennett end, and the latter claimed Glamorgan's second wicket in his third over as for the second time in the match, and with the total on 68, Bragg dragged a ball onto his stumps as he attempted to shoulder arms.


Glamorgan's target had become 253 from a minimum of 52 overs as Murray Goodwin joined Rudolph who unfurled another fine cover drive against Taylor followed three balls later by a booming off drive. He then clipped Ben Raine to mid-wicket for four as he completed a sublime fifty from 68 balls.


Goodwin then danced down the wicket to off-drive Naik as Glamorgan reached the 100-mark in the 26^th over. A rare false shot from Rudolph saw an outside edge from Raine hurtle through the slips to the third man boundary before Goodwin swatted the seamer to backward point for another boundary. A deft nurdle against Naik brought up the fifty stand before next ball, O'Brien missed a stumping chance against Goodwin who then swatted the next ball from Naik to the ropes at mid-wicket.


Shreck then returned shortly before tea in a bid to break the stand between two batsmen with over 40,000 first-class runs to their name, but it was Naik who made what home supporters hope may be the decisive breakthrough as he had Rudolph caught at backward point for 63.

Glamorgan's target had become 192 from the remaining 37 overs when Murray Goodwin and Stewart Walters resumed after tea, and in Jigar Naik's first over after the interval, the spinner nearly claimed another wicket as Walters miscued a drive into the leg-side. Goodwin then clipped Charlie Shreck to the ropes at mid-wicket before Walters launched Naik into the Pavilion Enclosure for a straight six followed by a rasping square cut against Shreck.


Goodwin then swept Naik for four en route to a high-class fifty from 76 balls but immediately after completing his half-century ne miscued the next ball from Anthony Ireland into cover's hands. The equation became 139 from 24.1 overs as Jim Allenby joined Walters but the all-rounder departed second ball as he was trapped l.b.w. by Jigar Naik and two balls later Josh Cobb dropped a thick outside edge from Mark Wallace's bat. It did not though prove to be an expensive miss as after Wallace pulled Ireland for four he also departed leg before to Naik as he attempted to sweep the spinner.


191/6 saw Graham Wagg join Walters and he was soon into his stride with a couple of deft glides, but he had a life as Ned Eckersley failed to hold onto a miscued drive as the all-rounder tried to despatch the spinner in the direction of the city centre. The net result was that Glamorgan reached the 200-mark and Wagg celebrated his good fortune by swatting Ireland to the point boundary.But he departed next ball as Matthew Boyce held onto a tumbling catch at deep mid-wicket as Ireland struck again.


John Glover joined Walters shortly before the start of the final hour with a notional 117 runs needed by Glamorgan and just three further wickets by the home side, as survival for a draw now became the visitor's objective. Glover was nearly run out in Ireland's fourteenth over as the ball missed the stumps at the bowler's end and sped away for overthrows.


Shreck duly returned to the fray at the Bennett End in place of Ireland as Naik continued at the Pavilion End. But Glover remained resolute and with Walters defending with a ramrod-straight bat, Taylor returned with six overs remaining as Naik switched ends in a last throw of the dice. But the eighth wicket pair held firm with Walters pulling the left-armer for four followed by a rasping cover drive as he completed a defiant 98-ball fifty, with Angus Robson's leg-spin also introduced as Leicestershire managed an extra over.