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Bowling contingent dominate rain affected day

16 August 2020

When heavy rain brought a premature halt to proceedings in Glamorgan’s first game at their headquarters fort eleven months, the home team were struggling in their first innings against Gloucestershire’s five- man seam attack.

After two sessions, the home team had laboured to 80 for 5 from 48 overs- a run rate of just 1.6 runs an over, after Chris Dent, the visitors’ captain had no hesitation in inserting the opposition under cloudy skies and on  a greenish pitch that had been covered for some time after the first day had been washed out.

The bowlers rewarded their captain by bowling a full length, and with two left arm seamers and three others of the right arm variety, Glamorgan’s batsmen were given no respite. They were so disciplined that only two boundaries were struck in front of the wicket throughout the 48 overs.

Nick Selman and Charlie Hemphrey, the Glamorgan opening batsmen have experienced a difficult start to this abbreviated season, scoring only 86 runs between them in four innings. Although they survived the 18 overs bowled before lunch- there was an hour’s delay at the start- they soon departed when play resumed.

Josh Shaw, the former Yorkshire bowler, who has twice been on loan to the county, but has now signed for them, accounted for both openers shortly after lunch when Selman, driving outside the off stump, edged a catch to George Hankins at second slip.

Day Two Highlights

In his next over, Shaw bowled Hemphrey, who was pushing down the wrong line, as Gloucestershire’s bowlers continued to dominate. The conditions did favour them, but they responded so well that there was plenty of playing and missing from the batsmen, and apart from Billy Root- who scored 113 in the previous game- no other batsman was secure at the crease.

Kiran Carlson attempted an ambitious off drive, but edged to the wicket keeper, then captain Chris Cooke was LBW to one that nipped back off the pitch.

Tom Cullen did add 20 runs with Root, before he nicked one to give Roderick his second victim,  and Glamorgan will hope that Root, who abandoned his attacking instincts to play watchfully during his time at the crease, and the lower order can guide Glamorgan to a first innings total  their bowlers are able to defend.

The heavens opened shortly after the players went to tea, with play eventually abandoned for the day at 5.15.

Gloucestershire seamer Josh Shaw said “ The aim was to bowl first after winning the toss, especially after the pitch had been under the covers for two days. I bowled before lunch without any reward, but I stuck in there and the wickets came after lunch. The policy was get the batsmen  coming forward most of the time and it worked- to bowl into the pitch”.

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