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    Specsavers County Championship - 14 May 2019

    Match Drawn

    Venue: Spytty Park

    Glamorgan v Gloucestershire

    DAY 4

    Gloucestershire and Glamorgan battled it out at the end of an absorbing championship game at Spytty Park in Newport which ended in a hard fought draw for both sides.

    Glamorgan declared on 481 setting Gloucestershire a run chase, and with the visitors at one stage at 41 for 4 in the 13th over, it staged a very interesting end to the County Championship match.

    James Bracey, who scored 152 in the first innings, began confidently striking four boundaries, but then succumbed to a loose shot when he slashed at a wide delivery from Wagg and was caught at second slip.

    Two runs later, Kieran Bull’s off spin accounted for George Hankins, who was bowled by a ball that turned from the rough and reduce the visitors to 41 for 4.  Gareth Roderick and Benny Howell shared an important parternship of 62 for the fifth wicket, but more importantly they were together for 22 overs.

    The partnership was broken by Bull who had Howell caught at slip by Lloyd diving forward, and Ryan Higgins almost went next ball when Labuschange just failed to hold on at bat -pad.

    Glamorgan needed to take- five more wickets in the final 16 overs and with the ball turning for Bull and Labuschange, Roderick fell for 19 after batting steadily for Gloucestershire.

    Ryan Higgins and Graeme van Burren batted brilliantly and defiantly and held out for the final 8.5 overs.

    Gloucestershire next fixture in the Specsavers County Championship takes place against Durham at the Emirates Riverside on Monday 20 May.

    Gloucestershire coach Richard Dawson said “ I thought we bowled well today to stop them scoring quickly and declaring earlier.  We never had a chance to chase the target as conditions were tricky overhead and we lost early wickets before and after tea. We now look forward to Durham- we have no injuries and after two days rest we will be ready for the challenge”

    DAY 3

    Both Nick Selman and Marnus Labuschagne posted centuries in a second wicket stand of 226 in Glamorgan’s second innings, as they looked to rescue their Specsavers County Championship Division Two match against Gloucestershire on day three at Spytty Park in Newport.

    It was Selman’s first Championship century since he scored his previous career best 142 not out against the Gloucestershire at Sophia Gardens in 2017.

    He had shared an opening stand of 133 with Charlie Hemphrey.

    Following on with a first innings deficit of 213, the Welsh county reached 359 for one by the close of play, a second innings lead of 146.

    Resuming on 241 for eight, 222 runs adrift of Gloucestershire’s first innings total, Graham Wagg and Timm van der Gugten had become Glamorgan’s last pair, as captain Chris Cooke was ruled out of the remainder of the match with an ankle injury, sustained whilst batting on the second day.

    Wagg, resuming on 45, brought up his half-century from 90 balls, having struck four fours and one six. But he was dismissed from the next delivery, misfiring an on-drive to short third man off the spin of 20-year old George Drissell, who finished with four for 83. Glamorgan were all out for 250, and subsequently followed on with a deficit of 213.

    Nick Selman (45) and Charlie Hemphrey (31), made a cautious but effective start, reaching 80 without loss before lunch against Gloucestershire’s six man attack.

    Selman’s half-century came from 91 balls, including six fours as the pair brought up their century stand. Hemphrey reached his half-century soon afterwards, from 107 balls having struck six fours and a six.

    Gloucestershire's breakthrough came when Hemphrey was caught behind off left-arm seamer Matt Taylor for 58, ending a 133 partnership.

    Selman and Labuschagne, the second wicket pair, saw Glamorgan through to 195 for one at tea, with Labuschagne reaching his half-century from 70 deliveries just after the interval. Their partnership had gone beyond the century mark as Selman crept into the nineties.

    With just under five over remaining in the day, Selman and Labuschagne had brought up their two hundred run partnership ahead of the final day in the match.

    DAY 2

    At the end of the second day’s play against Glamorgan at Spytty Park we have a second centurion, Ryan Higgins.

    Gloucestershire added 103 runs on the second day, ending their first innings on a commanding 463 all out. Glamorgan’s batsmen were troubled throughout finishing the day on 241/8 and needing 73 more runs to avoid the follow-on.

    Higgins and van Buuren resumed batting this morning for Gloucestershire and it didn’t take long for the former to warm up. He hit 7 fours and 1 six in the first five overs of the day, quickly reaching a half-century. That partnership of 96 lasted until van Buuren was trapped lbw to van der Gugten for 25.

    George Drissell and David Payne added nine runs between them before falling to Wagg and de Lange respectively. However, the damage was done at that stage as Higgins hit a quick century off 89 balls, finishing on 103.

    David Payne and Matt Taylor opened the bowling for Gloucestershire and immediately disrupted Glamorgan’s momentum. Payne picked up two wickets in the first three overs, trapping Selman lbw for 14 and then bowling Labushagne for a duck.

    Payne said, "it was great for me to take the two early wickets, but we had some feedback from the batters, who said the new ball was important. We are in a good position but there is a lot of work to do over the last two days”.

    Charlie Hemphrey and David Lloyd avoided a complete Glamorgan collapse by adding 95 for the third wicket before George Drissell deceived Lloyd, leading him to being stumped. That being his first wicket of the 2019 Specsavers County Championship. Then just before tea, Drissell added to Glamorgan’s misery taking Hemphrey lbw for 60.

    Matt Taylor only allowed Billy Root and Jeremy Lawlor to contribute 18 runs each and then more misfortune befell Glamorgan when their captain Chris Cooke was forced to retire after injuring his ankle turning for a second run.

    Cooke, who was Gloucestershire’s foil in their Royal London One-Day Cup fixture, was helped off the pitch in some discomfort and is unlikely to take any further part in this match-up.

    Graham Wagg (45) and Timm van der Gugten (9) are the final pair remaining for Glamorgan and they will open play tomorrow morning at 11am.

     

     

    DAY 1

    On the day County Championship cricket returned to Spytty Park, James Bracey forged the way for Gloucestershire’s success collecting 152 runs in a splendid batting performance.

    This, his third first-class century against Glamorgan, comes just one week after scoring an unbeaten 113 against Essex at Chelmsford.

    At the end of the day’s play, Gloucestershire reached 360/6, a terrific score brought about by the batting excellence of Roderick and Bracey. 

    Gloucestershire had early success with Dent and Bracey after Miles Hammond was caught out at slip on the third ball of the morning by Kieran Bull. Once 50 was reached, both Dent and George Hankins were dismissed in quick succession bringing Gareth Roderick to the middle.

    Roderick continued to prove his worth as a top order batsman, adding consistency and patience alongside Bracey. The fourth wicket partnership, which lasted 53 overs, added 199 runs and allowed Gloucestershire to frustrate the Glamorgan bowlers who were struggling for a breakthrough.

    Bracey demonstrated the type of performance that Head Coach Richard Dawson was hoping for heading into the game and the switch to four-day cricket seemed to have no affect at all on the 22-year-old.

    Gareth Roderick finished on 88, with 12 fours, adding to the side’s ever-growing number of boundaries. Benny Howell contributed 35 off 49 while Ryan Higgins (25*) and Graeme van Buuren (21*) assured there would be no more casualties on the first day.

    Gloucestershire will be pleased to have recovered so well from the loss of early wickets and will be heading into the second day full of confidence with the seventh wicket partnership already on 46 and a pitch that is expected to turn later in the game.

    James Bracey, who scored 154, said “I was very pleased with my innings, perhaps I would have  been more than pleased to have scored the other three runs to beat my previous career best, but it set up a good total  for us.

     We now need to kick on in the morning and get as many as we can, and hopefully only bat once in the game”.