YORKSHIRE v GLAMORGAN

A spirited eighth wicket stand of 122 between Dan Douthwaite (57) and Timm van der Gugten, who made a career-best and unbeaten 80, plus some lusty blows by Michael Hogan (40*) saw Glamorgan recover from 132-7 to reach 310-8 by the close of play after being put in to bat by Yorkshire on the opening day of their LV=County Championship match at a chilly, overcast and windswept Emerald Headingley.

Close of Play report

Glamorgan began the final session on 166-7 after 64 overs with Matthew Fisher and Ben Coad resuming the bowling duties and eager to break the stubborn eighth wicket stand between Dan Douthwaite and Timm van der Gugten. But the runs continued to flow as Douthwaite drilled Fisher through the covers before Timm van der Gugten nurdled Coad to third man followed by a flowing off-drive to bring up the fifty stand. The Dutchman then flicked Steve Patterson to fine-leg before edging him to the vacant third man boundary, followed by a leg glance to secure the first batting point of the summer.

Douthwaite then repeated the stroke against Duanne Olivier before swatting the South African high over backward square-leg for a massive six. The burly all-rounder then greeted the return of Dom Bess prior to the new ball by crisply driving the off-spinner to long-on for four prior to completing his forthright fifty from 75 balls. Van der Gugten then deposited Joe Root over long-on for another maximum shortly before the floodlights were turned on.

Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher duly returned with the new ball after 80 overs with Glamorgan on 231-7 and a single to van der Gugten brought up the century stand between the valiant pair. He then scythed Fisher for three successive fours to third man during which he completed an invaluable fifty from 97 balls besides reaching a Championship best 61. Douthwaite then opened his shoulders to plunder a six over long-on against Coad to see Glamorgan to 250 and a second batting point with van der Gugten then cover-driving Fisher for another boundary. But their merry spree ended with the total on 254 as Coad bowled Douthwaite for 57 having added 122 in 32.5 overs with van der Gugten.

Michael Hogan – who is appearing in his 99th first-class game for the Welsh county and his first-ever against Yorkshire - duly came in and continued the counter-attack with a flurry of lusty blows, firstly by flaying Fisher to third man for four before nonchalantly lofting Coad over mid-on before clubbing Fisher through backward point. Not to be outdone, van der Gugten lofted Coad back over his head for four before Hogan was dropped at mid-on as he unfurled another rustic drive.

Van der Gugten then gleefully swatted a short ball from Coad to mid-wicket for four before Hogan drilled Olivier straight for six prior to flat-batting him for four through the covers. A third batting point was secured as van der Gugten pulled Olivier to mid-wicket before Hogan opened the face of his bat and ran a ball from Patterson to third man to bring up the fifty stand.

Teatime Update

Resuming on 79-3 after lunch, the fourth wicket pairing of Billy Root and Kiran Carlson were looking to further rebuild the innings after the slump to 29-3 from 12 overs. Ben Coad and Duanne Olivier undertook the bowling duties with Carlson deftly glancing Coad to the ropes at fine-leg before square-driving the seamer. Root also edged Olivier to the vacant third man boundary before Carlson survived an l.b.w. appeal by Coad. He then brought up the team’s 100 and his own half-century – from 75 balls - with a drive to the mid-wicket boundary followed by another glance to fine-leg but shortly afterwards Carlson was well caught head high at second slip by Adam Lyth as he fended off a delivery from Olivier.

111-4 then became 111-5 as Chris Cooke edged Steve Patterson to Tom Kohler-Cadmore at first slip. Having been joined by Callum Taylor, Billy Root square-cut Matthew Fisher for four before his partner square-drove Coad to the ropes in front of the Western Terrace. But with the total on 128 Taylor became the second batsman to shoulder arms to Fisher only to lose their off stump to a delivery which jagged back in.

Root then on-drove Coad but next ball edged low in front of first slip where Johnny Tattersall, the wicket-keeper took a smart one-handed catch diving to his left. Dan Douthwaite punished a pair of loose deliveries from Fisher, each time to the ropes at mid-wicket before later in the over being dropped at third slip by Harry Brook. He celebrated his good fortune by bringing up the 150 with a flowing cover drive against Fisher, before Timm van der Gugten opened his account by on-driving Fisher. Shortly before tea, Douthwaite found the ropes again as he clipped Patterson to the boards at long-on before van der Gugten swatted a short ball from off-spinner Dom Bess to the ropes at extra-cover.

Lunchtime Report

Andrew Balbirnie and Jamie McIlroy made their Championship  debuts for Glamorgan as the Welsh county began their first game on Yorkshire soil since 2012. Nick Selman and David Lloyd opened the batting for the visitors with the former thick-edging the first ball of the summer, from Ben Coad, through the slips for four. Lloyd also drilled an overpitched delivery from Matthew Fisher to the ropes at long-on but in the fifth over Selman was bowled as he edged a delivery from Coad into his stumps.

8-1 saw the arrival of Balbirnie in the middle who nonchalantly clipped his first ball to the ropes at mid-wicket but next over he lost his partner as Lloyd shouldered arms to a delivery from Fisher which nipped back and trimmed the top of off stump. Billy Root duly joined the Dubliner who found the ropes again as he cover-drove Fisher before clipping Coad to mid-wicket. However, Steve Patterson entered the attack in the 12^th over and with his sixth delivery he trapped Balbirnie l.b.w. as the White Roses claimed their first bonus point with the Daffodil county on 29-3.

Having been joined by Kiran Carlson, Root off-drove Duanne Olivier before his new partner punched Patterson through extra-cover for four before inside-edging another drive against the home captain to fine-leg. Root then saw Glamorgan to the 50-mark by pulling a short ball from Olivier for four before Carlson drove Patterson to the extra-cover boundary. The batsman had a life with the total on 58 as Tom Kohler-Cadmore at first slip dropped an outside edge which Olivier had induced from Carlson’s bat. He responded by cover-driving the Springbok before outside-edging the next delivery through a vacant fourth slip position. Dom Bess entered the attack at the Kirkstall Lane End after 22 overs before Fisher returned to the fray shortly before lunch, but the fourth wicket pair remained resolute and saw Glamorgan through to the interval without any further alarm with the fifty partnership coming up from 107 balls in the final over of the session.

Glamorgan are 68-4 in their second innings at the close of the second day of their LV=County Championship encounter against Yorkshire at Emerald Headingley after the Welsh county had secured a decent lead of 137 having dismissed the home side earlier in the day for just 193.

Close of Play Report

When play resumed after a delayed tea break, Nick Selman and David Lloyd began Glamorgan’s second innings with 29 overs remaining in the day’s allocation. However, the former only survived four balls before edging the fifth from Ben Coad into the wicket-keeper’s gloves with Andrew Balbirnie making his way to the middle with the electronic scoreboard showing 0-1. Lloyd responded by pulling Duanne Olivier for four before Balbirnie inside-edged Coad to fine-leg for a streaky four.

Lloyd then drilled successive deliveries from Coad to the ropes at mid-off before Balbirnie edged Olivier to third slip when Harry Brook took a fine diving catch with Glamorgan on 17-2. Billy Root began by clipping Coad to backward square-leg for four but two wickets then fell in Coad’s fifth over as Lloyd, firstly edged into the slips where Brook took another smart catch before Kiran Carlson feathered a edge into Tattersall’s gloves.

29-4 saw Chris Cooke join Root who off-drove Olivier for a second boundary before nurdling Steve Patterson to the vacant third man boundary. The pair also accumulated in a series of deftly placed singles as the 50 came up in the 20th over but despite the introduction of Dom Bess, plus Joe Root’s off-spin, there were no further alarms for the visiting batsmen.

Teatime Update

Yorkshire began the post-lunch session on 65/2 with play resuming after the players and officials had observed a two minutes’ silence in memory of HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. With all concerned also wearing black armbands, Adam Lyth completed his half-century from 66 balls with a pair of cover-driven fours in the opening over from Dan Douthwaite. The second over was delivered by Callum Taylor during which the off-spinner deflected a delivery, firmly driven back to him by Joe Root, onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end with the umpire turning down the appeal for Lyth being run out. However, the opener departed next over l.b.w. to a full length delivery from Douthwaite as Glamorgan secured their first bowling point in the 24^th over. 79-3 immediately became 79-4 as Root miscued a drive advancing down the wicket to a full toss from Taylor and was well caught by Douthwaite running back from mid-off.

Harry Brook and Johnny Tattersall joined forces with the former off-driving Taylor for four before steering Douthwaite through the slip cordon for four, followed by a punch through extra-cover off the back foot. Tattersall then drilled an over-pitched delivery from van der Gugten for four to long-on before Brook greeted the return of Michael Hogan to the attack by unfurling a pair of sublime drives through mid-on and mid-off to bring up the Yorkshire hundred. Tattersall then square-cut van der Gugten for four before Brook dispatched successive balls from Hogan off the back foot through extra-cover and mid-wicket for firmly struck boundaries. But with the total on 129 van der Gugten removed Tattersall l.b.w. with a delivery which jagged back in and struck the Yorkshire batsman on the back foot in front of the stumps. After being joined by Dom Bess, Brook drilled a delivery from David Lloyd to the ropes at long-on.

Bess then edged a ball from the Dutchman just in front of third slip before square-driving the next delivery for a second boundary. He also nurdled Hogan through point but Lloyd duly made an important breakthrough as, in his third over, he removed Brook who was l.b.w for 40 with the total on 149. Matthew Fisher began with a cover-driven four against the Glamorgan vice-captain but, with the total on 160, he became Jamie McIlroy’s maiden wicket as he edged a ball from the left-armer into Chris Cooke’s gloves.

Lloyd’s probing spell continued as he found the edge of Steven Patterson’s bat with Nick Selman completing a regulation catch at second slip. Ben Coad then opened his shoulders to loft McIlroy for four over mid-off but next over and with the total on 174 Coad perished at wide third man as he upper cut Douthwaite straight to Taylor who had just been placed in that position close to the boundary ropes. Having been joined by Duanne Olivier, Bess pulled Dan Douthwaite for four before clipping him to the ropes at square-leg whereupon Taylor returned to the fray and was driven to long-on by the England off-spinner, but next over he had Olivier caught behind as Glamorgan secured a first innings lead of 137 runs.

Lunch Report

With Glamorgan on 132-7 after being put in to bat in tundra-like conditions in Leeds yesterday, it looked like the Welsh county might struggle to garner a batting point. But they ended the day with three in the bag as the game was turned on its head by a remarkable eighth wicket stand of 122 in 32.5 overs between Dan Douthwaite and Timm van der Gugten. The Dutchman went on to reach a career-best 80* in the bitterly cold conditions, besides receiving useful support in the final hour from Michael Hogan.

The net result was that Glamorgan began this morning in much warmer and less overcast conditions on 310-8 with the Yorkshire bowlers looking to quickly end the visitor’s innings. Ben Coad resumed at the Kirkstall Lane End and saw Hogan under-edge a full length delivery – the first of the day - to fine-leg for four before the Glamorgan number ten straight drove and cover drove the bowler for further boundaries in the opening over besides completing a 47-ball fifty.

However, Hogan was caught at long-off in Coad’s next over as the ninth wicket stand came to an end having added 72 in 13.4 overs. Jamie McIlroy replaced the evergreen fast bowler but four runs later departed l.b.w. to Patterson leaving van der Gugten unbeaten with 85 from 145 balls and fifteen runs short of posting Glamorgan’s first century at Headingley since 2004 and the earliest Championship hundred in the Club’s history.

van der Gugten was swiftly back in action as Adam Lyth and Tom Kohler-Cadmore began Yorkshire’s first innings with the Dutchman sharing new ball duties with Hogan for whom this is his 99th first-class appearance for Glamorgan and his first-ever Championship match on Yorkshire soil. Having beaten the outside edge of Lyth’s bat with three of his four deliveries, the former England opener then thick-edged Hogan’s fifth ball to the ropes at third man.

There was nothing fortuitous though for his second boundary as he cover-drove van der Gugten although Kohler-Cadmore’s first boundary was also off the outside edge against Hogan before the former Worcestershire batsman also cover drove the Australian. But the 40 year-old removed the opener in his next over as he drove outside off-stump and edged into Chris Cooke’s gloves. 19-1 saw Tom Loten join Lyth who on-drove and off-drove van der Gugten for a pair of crisply-struck fours. But next over Hogan bowled Loten as Joe Root made his way to the middle with the England captain opening his account by off-driving Hogan.

Billy Root then had a couple of overs as, for the first time in first-class cricket, Joe faced his younger brother. With his second delivery, Billy nearly trapped Joe l.b.w but next over Lyth pulled a full toss from the off-spinner for four having also straight driven and off-driven Hogan for a pair of boundaries. Jamie McIlroy then entered the attack and delivered his first ball in first-class cricket to Root - born in Hereford and raised in Builth Wells, the left-armer also became the first Glamorgan bowler from a mid-Wales club since Ken Lewis of Newtown CC opened the bowling with Wilf Wooller against Essex at Cardiff Arms Park on 14 July 1956.

A lunchtime snowstorm brought an early finish to the third day of Glamorgan's LV=County Championship encounter against Yorkshire at Emerald Headingley with the Welsh county on 161-4 and a lead 298 runs.

Afternoon Update

A prompt start was not possible as a snowstorm engulfed Headingley during the lunch interval and turned the famous cricket ground into something akin to a Winter Wonderland. The snow eased after an hour or so and following an inspection at 2.30pm, the umpires decided to take tea at 3.10pm and to inspect at 3.30pm. However, with the outfield covered by a mix of snow and slush, they decided that no more play would be possible today.

Lunchtime Report

Sixteen wickets fell yesterday at Headingley by the end of which Glamorgan, on 68-4 in their second innings, had established an overall lead of 205 having dismissed the home side within 59 overs and maneuvering themselves into a position where they could achieve something that only one Glamorgan side in the Club’s 100 years of Championship cricket has previously enjoyed by defeating Yorkshire at their headquarters.

If so, this will be a fine achievement bearing in mind that none of the Glamorgan attack had ever taken a Championship wicket before at Headingley and that only one of their team - Billy Root - had ever scored a run previously in county games at the Leeds ground. Indeed, it was Root who, together with Chris Cooke, resumed the Glamorgan second innings this morning in bright sunshine but bitterly cold temperatures facing Duanne Olivier plus Steve Patterson as Yorkshire’s new ball pairing from the first innings - Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher - were both off the field with injuries which have ruled them out of bowling again in the match.

Cooke struck the day’s first boundary as he pulled Olivier for four before dispatching the South African through backward point followed by a firm on-drove against Patterson. Yorkshire then switched to spin with Root twice reverse-sweeping Dom Bess for four to bring up the Glamorgan hundred in the 41st over before Patterson returned to the fray and was punched through extra-cover by Cooke.

Root then completed his fifty from 126 balls with an orthodox sweep against Bess before repeating the stroke to bring up the century stand. Root celebrated by again sweeping the England off-spinner for six before Cooke followed him to the half-century mark from 130 deliveries by on-driving Harry Brook’s occasional medium-pace for four. With light drizzle falling, Root also outside-edged Brook to third man for four but there were few alarms as the fifth wicket pair survived the morning session and to take the Welsh county into a commanding lead.

Glamorgan drew their opening LV=County Championship match of the season at Emerald Headingley as Yorkshire ended on 223-4 from 66 overs after being set a target of 379 runs from a minimum of 76 overs with Chris Cooke and Billy Root having each completed unbeaten centuries earlier in the day.

Close of Play report

Yorkshire were 173-3 when the final session began with a minimum of 28 overs remaining in the contest, and the home side needing a further 206 runs. However, a draw had been uppermost in the minds of the home team so with Adam Lyth and Harry Brook having already added an unbroken 126 for the fourth wicket, the White Roses looked to be on course to saving the game. Hogan returned for another salvo with Lyth steering him to the vacant third man ropes but later in the over Brook miscued a ball in the air into the covers where Root took a fine tumbling catch.

Johnny Tattersall joined Lyth who on-drove Taylor for four before clipping him to mid-wicket for another boundary prior to completing his century from 166 balls by clipping Hogan to fine-leg. Tattersall had opened his account with a flick to fine-leg for four before Lyth bottom-edged a drive from Taylor to the third man ropes. Glamorgan rotated their bowlers in a bid to break the stubborn fifth wicket stand, but the pair remained steadfast with Tattersall square-cutting Taylor for four before drizzle started to fall with the match ending in a draw after 66 overs.

Michael Hogan had struck with the final ball before lunch to leave Yorkshire reeling on 32-2 with the start of the afternoon session seeing Joe Root join Adam Lyth as Dan Douthwaite also entered the fray. Root punched the all-rounder through extra-cover for four before pulling a short delivery to the ropes at mid-wicket. But Douthwaite made the perfect riposte as next ball the England captain edge to Andrew Balbirnie, his Irish counterpart, at first slip.

47-3 saw Harry Brook make his way to the middle as Jamie McIlroy replaced Hogan at the Emerald Stand End and was clipped to the ropes at square-leg by the new batsman. Brook then pulled Douthwaite for four before squirting a wider ball outside off stump through the vacant gully for another boundary whilst Lyth flicked McIlroy to mid-wicket for four. Brook also glanced a couple of deliveries from McIlroy to fine-leg before Lyth cover-drove Callum Taylor for four when the off-spinner entered the attack before pulling a full toss for six.

Lyth found the ropes again when he guided McIlroy to third man before pulling him for six over mid-wicket. Brook then inside-edged Taylor to see Yorkshire into three figures before van der Gugten returned at the Emerald Stand End and was straight driven by Lyth who duly completed his fifty from 91 balls shortly before snow started to fall again and briefly forced the players off the field, causing the loss of two overs.

When play resumed Brook greeted the introduction of Root into the attack by straight-driving him for six before guiding Taylor through extra-cover for another boundary before reaching his fifty from 60 balls and bringing up the century stand. Lyth added to his boundary tally by sweeping Root before cover-driving van der Gugten

Lunchtime Report

Buxton, with an altitude of 1,000 feet, was the ground where snow infamously stopped play in June 1975 between Derbyshire and Lancashire. The same happened yesterday at Headingley, amongst the bricks and mortar of suburban Leeds, with the ground - famed as the venue for Ian Botham’s remarkable counter-attack in the 1981 Ashes Test and Ben Stokes’ miraculous match-winning efforts during the 2019 Ashes encounter - being transformed into something more akin to the set of the film White Christmas!

The unexpected arrival of the white stuff at lunchtime, with temperatures hovering around four degrees, came after Glamorgan’s fifth wicket pairing of Billy Root and Chris Cooke had batted throughout the morning session to extend the Welsh county’s lead to 298 runs and capitalizing on the loss through injury of Yorkshire’s new ball pairing of Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher. The subsequent loss of 64 overs, and no allowance today for making up for lost time, prompted a revision of the plans for a declaration in the visiting camp, and the prospect this morning of their batsmen continuing to make hay whilst the sun was shining, as opposed to yesterday when the sleet was falling.

Root set the tone by glancing the first delivery of the day from Harry Brook to the fine-leg boundary with the fifth wicket pair accumulating mainly in singles before Cooke lofted Dom Bess for a straight six. Root then cut Brook for four through backward point before Cooke pulled Brook for four, prior to Root reaching his century from 210 balls by flicking his brother for two to square-leg with Joe having entered the attack as Billy was three runs short of his century.

He celebrated by harpooning Bess for a massive six over deep mid-wicket to bring up the 200-stand before Cooke followed his partner to three figures by clipping Bess to mid-wicket for four, as the captain completed his fifth century for the Club from 213 balls and his first since 2017 when making an unbeaten 113 against Nottinghamshire at Sophia Gardens. Cooke thereupon declared leaving Yorkshire a target of 379 from 76 overs and ending their partnership which had added an unbroken 212 from 69.5 overs, with their efforts being Glamorgan’s best for the fifth wicket against Yorkshire surpassing the 174 added by Jim Pressdee and Peter Walker at Cardiff Arms Park in 1962.

Yorkshire’s openers, Adam Lyth and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, began their innings fifty minutes before lunch with Michael Hogan and Timm van der Gugten racing in with the new ball and beating the outside edge of both batsmen’s blade. Lyth eventually made contact by on-driving and off-driving Hogan for a pair of fours before bisecting the slips and gully by outside-edging van der Gugten to the ropes at third man. The Dutchman then made the early incision by having Kohler-Cadmore caught behind as he tentatively played outside off-stump. 19-1 saw Tom Loten join Lyth with the tall batsman survived a loud appeal for l.b.w. However, after clipping a pair of fours to square-leg, Loten departed leg before to Hogan from the final delivery of the session.