County Championship
Round 13
Glamorgan v Gloucestershire
Preview:
An unchanged squad
for the trip to Sofia Gardens and a game against a side beaten by an innings in
their first two Division 2 games. Late drama, though, as Ben Wells replaced
James Bracey in the final XI, making his First Class debut in the process after
Bracey suffered concussion in training.
Day 1:
No Report
Day 2:
A grey and sparsely attended morning at Sofia
Gardens. A brown pitch, with no hint of green. Gloucestershire needed a fast
start and got one. It took David Payne just three balls to break the stubborn
seventh wicket partnership of 73 as Salter left a delivery that came back a
long way and was bowled: 264-7. This still left the Shire with thirteen and a
half overs to take two more wickets for full bowling points. The first of them
came in Ryan Higgins’ second over when Smith prodded outside off and Tom Lace
took a superb, low chance, diving full length at Third Slip: 279-8. Batting was
certainly interesting as Byrom first tried to uppercut a Payne bouncer, without
making contact, seeing the ball fly way over Ben Wells’ head for four byes. The
second ball of the over was edged short of Miles Hammond at 1st Slip
and the third was nudged for a quick single, with the batsman struggling had
Chris Dent’s throw hit. The third Glamorgan batting point which, at start of
play, looked like a banker, was looking a much more iffy proposition. Byrom,
though, showed a great trust in #10, van der Gugten, being willing to take a
single even from the first ball of the over. Five overs left for bonus points and van der
Gugten, who averages 16 in FC cricket, was doing more than just survive: one
wicket needed by the Shire, four runs for Glamorgan. And up came the Glamorgan
300 in the 106th over, with the ninth wicket stand at 22 and
growing. Now, it was just a matter of whether or not Gloucestershire could take
a wicket in the next four overs.
Chris Dent asked for – and got – a change of ball.
Not for the first time it did the trick: first ball with the new nut Byrom cut,
got an inside edge and saw his stumps re-arranged. David Payne had ended a fine
innings of 78 and obtained the third bowling bonus point. Van der Gugten then
offered a wild, head up slash at Ryan Higgins and edged through to Ben Wells:
309ao. Glamorgan would not be unhappy with that after being put in. However,
after an opening stand of 136, only the seventh wicket partnership offered
much.
Out came Chris Dent, restored to opening, with
Miles Hammond. The good work of Hogan’s opening spell – 6 overs for 7 runs –
was somewhat wasted as Smith, playing his first Championship game of the
summer, was pressing too hard and inaccurate, going for 32 in his first five
overs. Up came the fifty in the 15th over, from the last ball before
Lunch, as Miles Hammond cut Smith savagely for four. Dent 22*, Hammond 27*, 32
of the 53 runs so far in boundaries.
On came Salter, the spinner and Miles Hammond sent
him way back over his head for a lofted boundary that bounced into the public.
Unfortunately, he did not get much further, as he then edged Hogan and Cook,
the wicket-keeper, took a magnificent one-handed catch in front of Slip. The
ball would not have carried and Cook’s effort was superb: 63-1, Miles Hammond
35. In came Tom Lace at #3 in a re-jigged batting order. After a good start, Lloyd
came on to bowl some gentle medium pace with the batsmen seemingly in no
difficultly. Tom Lace drove hard at two that he missed but, the third tempter
outside off took his edge and Cook made another, tremendous catch. 90-2, some
of the shine going off the start. Tom Lace out for 12 just when he looked in
prime form and set for a score. Two boundaries in an over set Graeme van Buuren
on his way and brought up the 100 in the 32nd over. All the while,
Chris Dent was accumulating quietly and reached his fifth 50 of the season with
a clip to leg for two from a misdirected ball from Lloyd (108 balls, 5x4).
On came Douthwaite. His first ball was called a
wide. His second, which was actually slightly wider still but not called by a
benevolent Umpire Blackwell: when Graeme van Buuren finally got a ball that he
could reach… just… an edge raced down to the Third Man boundary. Up came the
fifty partnership in the 43rd
over. 166-2 from 50 overs at Tea. Chris Dent 67*, Graeme van Buuren 44*, the
partnership 76, made in good time. With the likelihood that much or all of Day
3 could be lost to rain, it would be imperative for the Shire to push on after
Tea; similarly, Glamorgan needed wickets.
The strong impression was that the support bowling
offered little threat, an impression reinforced when Douthwaite’s first over
after Tea offered two boundary balls. Chris Dent was possibly lured into a
false sense of security when, with the partnership approaching the century, he
tried to ramp Salter and was bowled round his legs. 184-3, Chris Dent 75 (153
balls, 8x4). Ryan Higgins lasted just three balls and was pinned LBW on the
back foot to Salter: 184-4 and two wickets in the over, just when Glamorgan
were starting to wonder where a wicket might come from. This brought in Ben
Wells for his debut innings, in place of the injured Ben Charlesworth who,
having been off the field for an extended period, had to bat down the order.
Ben Wells has a 50 for the 2nd XI in 2021 and, unusually, a century
in 2021 too, in a T20 for Somerset 2nd XI. Salter dropped short to
van Buuren and the ball vanished to the boundary to bring up his 50 (87 balls,
10x4). A controlled edge for four by Ben Wells brought up the 200 and a batting
point.
It became a matter of just how many overs would be
bowled after Tea before the light went. Twelve overs were lost at the end of
the day but, in the time before the umpires brought a halt, Ben Wells showed
that he is a capable bat, reaching 23* and playing some pleasing shots. As is
his wont, having started with a big crash of runs – scored initially at almost at
a run-a-ball – Graeme van Buuren slowed as his innings advanced and he finished
on 65*. 224-4 from 70 overs at the Close, 85 behind. The chances of a result
will depend on how much play is possible on Day 3 and which of the two sides
manages to take best advantage of it.
Day 3:
Astonishing events at Cardiff. After starting Day 3
with the first innings lead still in dispute, the day ended with Glamorgan
facing a third consecutive innings defeat. Only bad light has saved them for
this possible humiliation.
On a wet day around the country, play only started
on time at Taunton and Cardiff, with 104 overs scheduled, but no confidence
that they would be possible. Everywhere else there was a delayed start due to
rain. The on-time start did not do Graeme van Buuren any favours as, second
ball of the morning he missed one from Lloyd that hit him in front of middle, although the ball may have been heading led-side. No addition to the overnight score: 224-5, Graeme
van Buuren 65 and not the start the Gloucestershire needed. Even so, Ben
Charlesworth showed no signs of discomfort when he came out . He played
positively, with 20 of his first 24 runs coming in boundaries. Ben Wells
continued to bat well and brought up the 250 and second batting point in the 77th
over. Hogan and van der Gugten took the New Ball, needing a wicket with it. The
first three overs with the New Ball brought eight runs, including a
Charlesworth boundary but, in his second over with the New Ball, van der Gugten
had Ben Wells in a lot of trouble and, finally, got his reward with an edge to
2nd Slip: Ben Wells out for a very competent 40 (94 balls, 7x4).
For Zafar, this was the first time that he had
batted for the Shire in a situation other than one of deep crisis and he
responded by getting off the mark first ball. The mission for this pairing was
to get up to parity and, if possible, start to build a lead before the tail was
exposed. However, the seventh over with the New Ball saw Zafar fishing outside
off and Cooke taking another wonderful catch with a swan-dive in front of Slip:
279-7 and hopes of a significant lead fading. Tom Price was greeted with a
short ball from Hogan and was unconvincing in playing it but, as the Sun tried
to poke through the cloud, van der Gugten offered him something to drive and he
responded with consecutive boundaries. At 288-7 from 90 overs, a third batting
point was certainly expected and a fourth, not impossible. Much depended on Ben
Charlesworth if a significant lead were to be established and a possible tilt
at a fourth batting point. Tom Price, once again, offered solid support and,
together, they put on 31 and brought up the 300 and the third batting point, as
well as getting into the lead before Smith, who was a lot more accurate today,
bowled Ben Charlesworth.
316-8 at Lunch. Five overs left for bonus points,
with the third Glamorgan bowling point looking a lot more likely than the
fourth Gloucestershire batting point. The lead just 7. How many could the tail
add to that, with Tom Price 16* and David Payne 5*?
With the light gloomy again, Tom Price came out
aggressively, seemingly looking at that fourth batting point. A couple of
lofted shots suggested that a real attempt would be made to get quick runs.
Glamorgan reacted by adding a couple of boundary fielders. A quiet over from
Salter followed and, with 25 needed in 12 balls to reach 350, it seemed more
likely that it would be more a matter of denying Glamorgan a bowling point.
So, after 110 overs, Gloucestershire 327-8 and the
bonus points split 6-5 in favour of the Shire.
There then followed a period of phoney war. Gloucestershire
scored but slowly, while Glamorgan were being frustrated not to able to finish
off the innings. When he puts his mind to it, David Payne can be a tough nut to
crack and he demonstrated it by not flinching at a short ball and running the
“head bye” enthusiastically as it caroomed off his helmet to Fine Leg. It was
all the more surprising when Payne advanced down the wicket to Salter and
lofted him high into a ground, where a helpful patron threw it back, leading to
an unscheduled ball sanitisation break. Tom Price took his lead from that and
helped himself to a boundary from the first ball of the next over from Smith,
who then bounced David Payne and saw the ball hooked confidently to the man on
the Square Leg boundary. Salter landed one in David Payne’s hitting zone and
watched the ball fly back over his head, dropping just short of the rope to
bring up the 350 in the 116th over. 21 from the last three overs!
With the lead approaching fifty, on came Douthwaite
with his “variations”, this time favouring leg side. He opened with a No Ball.
A couple of singles brought up the 50 lead and another, next delivery, brought
up the 50 partnership. The fun ended when David Payne, who had been playing
some shots more associated with the Blast, edged a ball from Douthwaite that
was outside off and Cooke took a routine catch. 379-9, Payne 34 (72 balls, 3x4,
1x6), the stand 69 and the lead, 70. It was David Payne’s best innings of the
season, valuable runs for the Shire and the total was already the highest of
the season of the Shire by some distance. And still the innings continued.
Douthwaite gave Tom Price width and Price went to his 50 with a flashing Cover
Drive (127 balls, 7x4). Another very wide ball followed and was cut hard for
the second boundary of the over, taking the score to 396-9. You could start to
dream of a first innings of 400 and a lead of 100 and Glamorgan’s body language
really started to droop at the prospect… A runout chance was missed as Tom
Price set off for a single that was never there, but the throw missed by a
distance. Price then brought up the 400 with a cut for two off Salter and took
the lead to 91. Byrom dropped Price – a difficult chance – off a hard-struck
shot. However, with Tea approaching, the game was meandering, with neither runs
coming, nor the last wicket: would the strategy of keeping Glamorgan in the
field lead to wickets when they batted on what seemed to be an increasingly
flat pitch?
With Tea delayed, Tom Price cut van der Gugten for
the four that took the lead over 100. Ten came off the over and Jared Warner,
not so subtly, called for a drink, the standard way of getting instructions on
tactics. Whatever the message was, the score continued to crawl along. Finally,
in the 141st over of the innings, Hogan produced a ball too straight
for Tom Price, who missed and was LBW for 71 (165 balls, 9x4). 419a0, the lead
110 and Tea could finally be taken.
Glamorgan were now facing a large first innings
deficit for the third consecutive match. The previous two had ended in innings
defeats. Here, they would have to bat out the best part of three sessions to
save the match, knowing that Gloucestershire would chase any realistic target
but, surely, the innings defeat was impossible?
When Glamorgan were 39-0 in the seventh over,
little could the full horror of what was to come be imagined. With the ball
doing little for Salter, the Glamorgan spinner, you would have got good odds
had you bet on Zafar as the destroyer but, a spell of 5-3-3-3 broached no
arguments. It was astonishing.
The primary incision, as surgeons call it, was made
by David Payne, whose first three overs had gone for 21, with the last ball of
the seventh over. Lloyd edged and Miles Hammond accepted the catch. Graeme van
Buuren, who was acting as captain on the field, even though Chris Dent was
fielding, brought on Zafar and, first ball, he induced an edge from Rutherford,
Miles Hammond accepting another catch at 1st Slip. Both openers had
gone in consecutive balls, 39-2 and the floodgates had opened. Zafar started
with a wicket maiden. David Payne supported him with consecutive maidens. Zafar
had new batsman, Selman, in his sights, still on a duck and put him out of his
misery as Ollie Price, on a substitute for Ben Charlesworth, took him at 2nd
Slip. 42-3 and, in just 27 balls, the match had turned.
Things only got worse. In Zafar’s fourth over,
Carlson also went for a duck to the Zafar/Ollie Price combo: another catch at 2nd
Slip and, at 46-4, horrible imaginings must have been rising in Welsh hearts.
Back came Ryan Higgins, out went Byrom, bowled, leaving disastrously. At 48-5,
Gloucestershire were preying and praying for the light to hold a little longer.
Ryan Higgins’ spell lasted just two overs as Graeme van Buuren brought himself
on as the light faded. With probing spin like this at both ends you do wonder
if the Surrey or Leicestershire games would have been lost: Graeme van Buuren
showed how much his bowling has advanced by doing immediately for Cooke, the
Glamorgan captain, caught by Chris Dent at Mid-Wicket, albeit not off a great
shot. 57-6, still 53 behind and Glamorgan facing an innings defeat. With the
last 23 balls of the day after the wicket all scoreless, Glamorgan closed on
57-6 and will need a huge effort in the morning to get Gloucestershire to bat
again.
In the end, just 7 overs of play were lost when the
umpires finally decided to bring the players off due to the encroaching
darkness. It has been another remarkable Gloucestershire third innings
performance on a pitch that, at Tea, had looked totally lifeless.
Day 4:
Tales of the unexpected. With Gloucestershire 316-8
at Lunch yesterday, you would have got very good odds on them chasing an
innings victory on the final morning. That they did not get it was largely down
some fairly desperate hitting from the Glamorgan tail and some lucky
deflections, but the win came soon enough anyway.
You could argue that the Somerset game early in the
season, in which a Gloucestershire surge on Day 3 led to the opposition being
bowled out cheaply and leaving a small target, or the sudden Surrey collapse from
318-5 to 333ao were better wins against far stronger opposition but, for sheer
cheek, the ruthless despatch of Glamorgan from a position when a draw looked by
far the most likely result, takes some beating. With Essex struggling to beat
the rain and take the win against Surrey and Northants in a mess against Durham,
a little window of hope was opening that Gloucestershire could even go into the
Durham game with an outside chance of winning Division 2.
Could the ruthless streak carry through on the
final morning? Yes, it could!
Sunshine and a brown pitch greeted the players as,
increasingly, blue sky started to appear. Zafar, on figures of 10-6-7-3. A
wonderful moment at the start of play when Zafar prepared to bowl the first
over before the umpires realised that he had bowled the last over last night
and stepped in. So, instead, two Slips and a Silly Point for Ryan Higgins. Zafar’s first ball turned and beat everyone
and everything, going for four byes. The second was swept, went high off a top
edge and Miles Hammond could not quite get to it. A more conventional sweep
third ball for four and ten had come from Zafar’s first three deliveries in
what looked like a slightly panicky start by Salter. Runs were coming in a
ridiculous rush, as if Glamorgan were aiming for a declaration. Twenty-four
runs from the first four overs of play. The deficit down to 27 with a Ryan
Higgins No Ball from the first delivery of the fifth over.
Zafar to the aggressive Salter. Graeme van Buuren
came over to him and had a word: Zafar floated it up, Salter missed and was
given LBW: 84-7, 26 behind. Still the runs came in a rush as the eighth wicket
partnership maintained the run-a-ball progress. Smith aimed a massive, reverse
sweep at Zafar and was bowled: 94-8, 16 behind and Zafar on 5-25. It was
madcap, frenetic stuff and Zafar was closing in on a career best.
Ryan Higgins swung a ball into Douthwaite and
castled him, leaving Glamorgan 102-9, 8 behind, with only Hogan to come. It was
also his fiftieth wicket of the season. What a signing Higgins has been. And
what a way to get to fifty wickets, the batsman thinking that he had everything
covered and still Ryan Higgins got the ball through him.
The last two batsmen conferred, presumably agreeing
which of the two would swing like hell. Hogan came down the pitch to Zafar and
just about cleared Graeme van Buuren as the ball dropped and plugged. Back came
David Payne and Hogan lofted him more successfully, bringing the scores level.
Van der Gugten edged Zafar just short of Ollie Price and then launched him far
over Long On for six. The batting seemed to be by numbers: block, block, block,
SMASH! Block, block, block, SMASH! Against canny bowlers who were persistent
and a very fine spinner, it was collective suicide. Zafar should have picked up
van de Gugten when the batsmen did not quite get hold of a wahoo over Long On,
but Ryan Higgins carried the ball over the boundary in taking the catch. Four
balls later, van der Gugten tried again, this time Ryan Higgins pushed the ball
back into play and Graeme van Buuren took a magnificent relay catch. 124ao, 15
to win and 6-43 for Zafar.
It took Miles Hammond and Chris Dent just nine
balls to knock off the runs. Salter took the New Ball and was lofted back over
his head, first ball, by Miles Hammond. Nine off that over of spin. Carlson was
given the New Ball at the Taff River End, bowling occasional off-spin. A short
ball was hammered through Mid-Wicket to bring the scores level and a cut for
four – only given as one run because the batsmen had crossed before it passed
the boundary – from Chris Dent finished it off. Twenty-two points for the
Shire.
With Essex looking unlikely to be able to force
victory against Surrey on the last day, they will go into the last round of
matches needing seven points against Northamptonshire to guarantee them winning
Division 2. An Essex defeat combined with a big Gloucestershire win against
Durham could though see the Shire pip them.
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