Bracey and Higgins defy Glamorgan
22 April 2018
A sixth wicket stand of 49 between James Bracey and Ryan Higgins kept alive Gloucestershire’s chances of forcing a hard fought draw with Glamorgan on the third day of the Championship match at the Brightside Ground.
Their partnership came in the final hour of a day that had seen Glamorgan’s David Lloyd follow up Shaun Marsh's century with a career best 117, and with support from Chris Cooke (43) and Marchant de Lange (50*), Glamorgan added 230 in 52 overs before declaring at 526-9, a lead of 290.
It left Gloucestershire 45 overs plus the final day's play to secure the draw, but not content with his fifty, de Lange then added three wickets to his figures of 5-62 in the first innings. Gloucestershire closed on 133-5, still needing 157 to make Glamorgan bat again.
Watch the close of play thoughts of captain Chris Dent here :
REACTION : @Gloscricket skipper Chris Dent's thoughts after day 3 v @GlamCricket pic.twitter.com/ZpeGV3QOWn
— Gloucestershire CCC (@Gloscricket) April 22, 2018
Gloucestershire began the day knowing they had to make Glamorgan work for their runs, with a lead of 60 already established and with the pitch appearing to offer less and less to the bowlers.
After a cautious start Glamorgan were soon moving the scoreboard along quickly with nine boundaries coming for overnight pair Cooke and Lloyd in the first ten overs, although Dan Worrall bowled a tight first spell and was rewarded when Cooke (43) clipped a confident stroke straight to Benny Howell at mid wicket.
Glamorgan's advantage was already into three figures with the right handed Lloyd playing forcefully, despite some considered field settings from skipper Chirs Dent. A switch of ends for Matt Taylor saw the departure of Salter, also caught by Howell, but any thoughts of keeping Glamorgan to a total of under 400 were halted by Lloyd and Marchant de Lange.
The tall South African had made only one previous first class fifty, he was competent enough to see Lloyd to his own half century and Glamorgan to lunch 172 runs in front at 408-7 with power to add.
A scoop over the slips off Worrall for six soon after the resumption signalled de Lange's increasing willigness to play shots. Lloyd was dabbing and cutting off the back foot, and having passed his best score last season (88), he completed his century from 136 balls in three scoring strokes, including a six over long on off van Buuren.
88 runs came in 50 minutes after lunch until Lloyd, with a career best 119 against his name, edged Benny Howell to Roderick behind the stumps. His stand with de Lange (117 in 22 overs) was also a Glamorgan record against Gloucestershire.
A low flat pull to wide long on saw de Lange clear the rope for a second time, and skipper Hogan declared the Glamorgan innings when de Lange reached his own fifty, made in 73 deliveries. Glamorgan were 290 ahead at 526-9, and Gloucestershire had an awkward half an hour to negotiate until tea.
In the same over Lukas Carey trapped Benny Howell lbw for six, and then had Gareth Roderick caught in the slips by Donald for four. Runs on the board meant Michael Hogan could pack the slip cordon, and it proved profitable again as Dent (12) pushed at de Lange in his opening spell and Salter did the rest.
That brought Jack Taylor in to join James Bracey, who had made a big hundred against Glamorgan at Cardiff last summer. The young left hander again showed good levels of concentration as well as judgement in and around his off stump, carefully picking the deliveries from off spinner Salter to drive or cut.
Taylor's natural game, by contrast, particularly with gaps on the off side, was still to play positively, and the pair had brought a semblance of stability until de Lange returned for a second, decisive burst.
Having made 29, Taylor spooned a chance to Carlson who took a diving catch at point, and van Buuren was trapped lbw shortly afterwards.
It left Gloucestershire at 84-5, an almost parallel position to the first innings, but now with an overall deficit of 206 and 17 overs remaining on the day. Ryan Higgins survived one close call for a leg side catch off de Lange, but otherwise he and Bracey grittily saw out the final hour while adding 49 for the sixth wicket.
Higgins will start the final day on 31, with Bracey on 34.
