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Marsh drives Glamorgan into pole position

21 April 2018

Australian left hander Shaun Marsh showed why he's played 36 Tests for his country on day two of the Championship match with Glamorgan at the Brightside Ground.

Coming in shortly before rain forced an early lunch, he gradually went through the gears to give Glamorgan a tactical grip on the match with two days remaining.

He was given support, in different styles by the patient Murphy (47) and the busy Carlson (45), but with the exception of one edge between 'keeper Roderick and Benny Howell at first slip when on 60, he reached his century without giving a chance until he pulled Worrall to deep mid wicket for 111.

27 runs ahead by then, Glamorgan reached 296-5 at stumps, 60 runs ahead.

The threat of rain was close for much of the morning session, which gave the Gloucestershire bowlers cloudy conditions to try and prevent Glamorgan openers Jack Murphy and Nick Selman from establishing a sound base.

Both showed greater patience than attacking intent and the first hour came and went without a boundary against some accurate bowling initally from Worrall and Matt Taylor, and then from Norwell and Higgins.

There were seven maidens in that time, and the bowlers gave skipper Chris Dent the scoreboard control head coach Richard Dawson had spoken so strongly about in pre-season, both Selman and Murphy only reaching the rope off thick edges to third man.

Eventually they were parted by a delightful delivery from Higgins, who caught Selman on his crease and clean bowled him for 28. It meant Murphy was joined by fellow left hander Marsh, and the latter was to hold the key to proceedings after rain forced an early lunch with Glamorgan 70-1.

68 overs plus the one in progress remained at that stage, and with the exception of one half volley from Higgins, the discipline of the Gloucestershire bowlers had been as consistent as Murphy's concentration.

Far from an experienced county player, he was also batting in an unfamiliar position and his natural inclination was to steer or caress the ball rather than play it with much force. A boundary punched off the back foot against Matt Taylor took him past his previous highest score, and he'd occupied the crease for more than three hours when Graeme van Buuren trapped him lbw for 47.

By this time Liam Norwell had left the field, having bowled only two overs in his second spell of the day. His body language suggested some discomfort with the hamstring which he injured in pre season, and with 35 overs to go until the second new ball, skipper Chris Dent turned to van Buuren and Higgins in particular to contain Marsh and new partner Kiran Carlson.

The teenager was busy from the outset, using his feet to van Buuren, and playing a full part in a stand that gradually accelerated either side of tea to add 111 in 29 overs until, just shy of the second new ball, Benny Howell found the edge of Carlson's bat and Roderick took the catch to remove him for 45.

Marsh, meanwhile, had batted with increasing assurance, playing some classical strokes through the covers as he wrestled control of the innings, completing his half century through extra cover off Noema-Barnett. Three times in the last over before tea he drove the same bowler for four, as Glamorgan pushed for parity against the old ball.

This they achieved, Marsh completing an excellent hundred with 16 boundaries from 177 balls, the second fifty taking 19 balls fewer than the first. Another hour of Marsh could have been very damaging but Gloucestershire finally forced a mistake as the Western Australian, having made 111, mistimed a pull off Dan Worrall to deep mid wicket.

Aneurin Donald (27) was the other man to go before the close, Roderick taking a routine catch off Higgins, who had plugged away economically for 17 overs on the day. Lloyd kept Cooke company until the close, when Glamorgan, at 296-5, had established a handy advantage.

Gloucestershire will hope Liam Norwell is able to bowl on Sunday, and at the close head coach Richard Dawson said "Liam has been working on his rehab with the physiotherapist since he came off. He's had ice on his leg and we'll see how he shapes up before play in the morning."

"The bowlers maintained their patience on a flat pitch and made their batsmen work hard. Marsh is a good player and batted well with a simple plan, but we deserved our wickets towards the end of the day. Now we have to control the first two hours on Sunday and work out how to get ourselves back in the game."

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