Match Reports

Gloucestershire v Glamorgan

Day 4

Michael Hogan claimed match figures of seven for 73 as Glamorgan moved to the top of the Specsavers County Championship Second Division table with a four-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol.

The 38-year-old Aussie seamer added figures of four for 22 to his three first innings wickets to help bowl out the home side for 161 from an overnight 41 for two.

Gloucestershire lost their last five wickets for 16 runs after lunch, Graham Wagg taking two of them. James Bracey and Benny Howell each made 33, but a target of 188 from 49 overs put the visitors in a good position.

So it proved, Marnus Labuschagne continuing his prolific season with 82 and Billy Root contributing 31 as Glamorgan reached 188 for six with 6.5 overs to spare. They took 20 points to Gloucestershire’s six and overtake Lancashire at the summit of Division Two by a single point, having played one more game.

A draw looked the most likely outcome when the hosts led by 67 at the start of play. But soon both overnight batsmen were out as Hogan had Gareth Roderick caught at second slip for 20 and Bracey’s innings was ended when he was lbw to a full delivery from Dan Douthwaite.

Jack Taylor made 16 before becoming another leg-before victim, this time for David Lloyd, who then spilled a straightforward catch at first slip to give Howell a life off Marchant de Lange with the score 129 for five.

Gloucestershire were only 157 ahead at lunch and it looked a potentially costly error. Howell, who had also survived a tougher chance to Nic Selman at second slip, was unbeaten on 27 at the interval.

But Lloyd soon atoned. With the total on 145 and the lead 171, he produced a sharp catch to his left to dismiss Ryan Higgins for six and give Hogan his third wicket.

Soon it was 149 for seven as Hogan bowled Howell. David Payne was caught behind trying to withdraw the bat from a delivery by Wagg, who then had Josh Shaw caught at point off a loose shot.

Joined by last man Matt Taylor, Graeme van Buuren went on the attack and edged a catch behind the ball after pulling de Lange for four.

Gloucestershire’s tail had offered little resistance and, with the sun breaking through, Glamorgan set about their second innings in some of the best batting conditions of the match.

Selman fell cheaply, caught by Jack Taylor at point, cutting at a short ball from Payne. But Labuschagne and Charlie Hemphrey calmed any nerves in the visiting dressing room by adding 50 before tea.

Glamorgan still needed another 132 off 36 overs. In the final session Hemphrey was brilliantly caught by Chris Dent, diving forward at cover, off Shaw, without adding to his score of 15.

But Labuschagne moved confidently to his second half-century of the match off 61 balls, with 7 fours, before Lloyd was bowled by Matt Taylor off an under edge for eight with the score on 85.

Not afraid to dance down the wicket to the seamers, Labuschagne showed why he is comfortably the leading run-maker in the Championship this season.

Root, dropped at mid-off by Matt Taylor off van Buuren, was mortified to lift Shaw straight to cover and when Labuschagne was caught behind off the tireless Payne, 35 were still required.

Douthwaite fell to Shaw near the end, but the experienced Wagg calmly saw Glamorgan home. It was Gloucestershire’s first defeat in the competition since August last year, a run of 11 games unbeaten.

Day 3

Some impressive seam bowling saw Gloucestershire grab a narrow advantage on the third day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Glamorgan at Bristol.

David Payne, Josh Shaw and Ryan Higgins ended with three wickets each as the visitors were bowled out for 287 from an overnight 187 for four, a first innings deficit of 26.

Marnus Labuschagne contributed 65 and Graham Wagg 33, but it was a struggle for the Glamorgan batsmen with the floodlights on beneath heavily overcast skies.

By the close Gloucestershire had made 41 for two in their second innings and led by 67, James Bracey unbeaten on 14.

Play did not begin until 2pm because of overnight rain and Glamorgan found the going tough against a Gloucestershire attack giving little away.

Payne, who had bowled without any luck the previous day, struck twice in an over to apply some pressure.

The left-arm seamer sent back Labuschagne, caught behind off a thick edge, having added only nine to his overnight score, and four balls later had Owen Morgan, on five, caught at second slip by Miles Hammond.

Labuschagne’s innings took his tally of Championship runs for the season to 769 at an average of 64. His dismissal left Glamorgan 201 for five.

It was 204 for six when Morgan was out and 215 for seven when a loose shot from Tom Cullen saw him caught at square leg by Bracey off the bowling of Shaw.

The second new ball was taken at 232 for seven, Wagg surviving a tough caught and bowled chance to Payne on ten as he and Dan Douthwaite took the total to 247 for seven at tea.

Douthwaite fell for 23 in the final session, lbw playing across a ball from Higgins, having added 49 for the eighth wicket with Wagg.

Marchant de Lange hit a big six over mid-wicket off Higgins, but then edged Payne through to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick, who took a good catch, diving to his right.

Without further addition, Wagg was caught at third man by Payne off a top-edge, looking to attack Higgins and Glamorgan missed out on a third batting point by 13 runs.

Payne was the pick of the Gloucestershire attack with three for 90, well supported by Shaw (three for 61) and Higgins (three for 63).

The pitch was still offering a bit for the seamers and the home side quickly lost skipper Chris Dent at the start of their second innings.

With the total on three, he edged Michael Hogan to David Llloyd at first slip and departed for two.

Hammond and Bracey took the score to 35 before a swinging delivery from Douthwaite beat Hammond’s forward defensive push and bowled him for 21.

With their lead only 61, Gloucestershire could not afford to lose further wickets. They were spared that threat when the light closed in, even with the floodlights on, and the final seven overs were lost.

Gloucestershire seam bowler David Payne said: "I feel I have been bowling well this season and today things came together for me. It is a good cricket wicket on which runs can be made, but there is also something for the bowlers if we keep hitting the right areas.

"It was decided to leave a bit more grass on than usual because we need to force a win and it has worked pretty well. Both teams can go into the final day aiming for a decisive result.

"We need to bat well in the first hour and take things from there. If we do that and end up drawing there will still be confidence to take into our remaining games."

Day 2

Chris Dent notched his 16th first class century as Gloucestershire and Glamorgan battled for supremacy on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Bristol.

It ended with the visitors 187 for four in reply to Gloucestershire’s 313, Marnus Labuschagne enhancing his position as the leading run-maker in the competition this season with an unbeaten 56 and Nic Selman making 73.

Gloucestershire lost the last five wickets for 47 to the second new ball after lunch, Michael Hogan and Graham Wagg ending with three wickets each and wicketkeeper Tom Cullen claimed five catches.

Skipper Dent, who began the day on 82, was dismissed for 105, his second successive Championship hundred, but had reason to be disappointed with his team’s total from a position of 168 for one at stumps the previous evening.

Hogan made the first breakthrough of the morning when James Bracey, on 28, edged to David Lloyd at first slip. Dent went to his century, off 174 balls, with 14 fours, with a boundary off de Lange.

The left-hander perished soon afterwards, nicking Dan Douthwaite through to Cullen, who soon took another catch, off Wagg, to send back Benny Howell.

Wagg struck again when Jack Taylor, on 13, was taken by Selman in the slips and at lunch Gloucestershire were 266 for five, with Gareth Roderick and Ryan Higgins having added 33 for the sixth wicket.

The afternoon session began with Roderick's middle stump being uprooted by Hogan, who followed up by having Higgins caught behind.

Then de Lange reached a personal milestone, bowling David Payne off stump to bring up his triple century of first class victims. It was no more than the South African deserved after having three catches spilled.

Graeme van Buuren earned Gloucestershire’s third batting point with a cover driven four off de Lange before Wagg had him caught behind by Cullen, who made it five catches in the innings by dismissing last man Matt Taylor off Douthwaite.

Glamorgan could feel pleased with their efforts and momentum stayed with them as openers Selman and Charlie Hemphrey put together a stand of 35 before tea,

They were parted with the total on 58 when Gloucestershire keeper Roderick took a fine low catch, diving to his right, to dismiss Hemphrey for 28.

Josh Shaw was the successful bowler and he struck again after a partnership of 95 between Labuschagne and Selman, having the latter well caught at slip by Howell after hitting 10 fours in his 132-ball innings.

Lloyd could make only a single before edging Higgins through to Roderick and the day ended with Matt Taylor bowling Billy Root for 21. By then Labuschagne had continued his impressive season by moving to a half-century off 78 deliveries, with 5 fours and a top-edged six off Payne. The 25-year-old Australian, eager to earn a place in his country’s Ashes squad, now has 760 Championship runs this season at an average of 69.

At the close, Glamorgan trailed by 126.

Gloucestershire captain Chris Dent said: "To score 313 from the position we were in at the start of the day was a bit disappointing, but it's still a half-decent first innings total here at Bristol.

"We had some chances that we failed to take at the start of their innings. No one means to drop a catch and it's one of those things that happens from time to time.

"Our bowlers were a bit unlucky, but two wickets late in the day have dragged things back for us and hopefully we can put Glamorgan under the pump in the morning. Both teams want to push for a win and there may be a bit more in the pitch on days three and four than in previous games here."

Day 1

Gloucestershire Captain Chris Dent took his run tally in his last three Specsavers County Championship innings to 317 with an unbeaten 82 on the opening day of Gloucestershire’s match against Glamorgan at Bristol.

The skipper followed up scores of 59 against Sussex and 176 against Leicestershire with another fluent half-century as his side reached 168 for one from 49 overs before rain intervened.

Miles Hammond contributed 61 to an opening stand of 127 with Dent after an uncontested toss, Glamorgan’s bowlers erring in line and length on a green pitch.

The visitors improved in the afternoon session and captain David Lloyd had Hammond caught at point. But Gloucestershire had moved into a strong position when the weather closed in.

Umpires Rob Bailey and Ulhas Ghande decided on an early tea at 3.10pm and hopes of a resumption were frustrated by persistent light drizzle. Play was eventually abandoned for the day at 5.35pm.

There looked to be something in the pitch for the seamers in the early overs, but Glamorgan bowled too short and wide to capitalise.

Lloyd used six different bowlers in the opening hour and a half, including two spinners, without being able to force a breakthrough.

When he brought himself on immediately after lunch, it was a seventh option. Hammond, who had reached a 72-ball half-century played a poor shot to direct a catch straight at Marnus Labuschagne.

Glamorgan did not help their cause by spilling two slip chances, Lloyd giving Dent a reprieve on 58 and Nic Selman dropping James Bracey on 13, both off Marchant de Lange.

Bracey has been prolific against the Welsh county during his short career and was poised menacingly on 21 when the rain came.

Dent had gone to fifty off 64 balls, with 8 fours, and looked increasingly at ease. By stumps he and Bracey had added 41 to build on Gloucestershire’s good start.

Greater accuracy saw Glamorgan’s bowlers stem the run-rate after lunch, with Dent and Bracey having to work for their runs.

The two left-handers took few risks and, while occasionally hurried by de Lange, displayed solid technique.

Michael Hogan was the most economical Glamorgan bowler, conceding 30 runs from his 14 overs.