Gloucestershire require 108 on final day to secure victory
8 August 2015
Gloucestershire, with a thoroughly professional all round performance will go into the fourth and final day full of confidence they can win their fifth championship game of the season after dismissing Glamorgan for 224 in their second innings, leaving Gloucestershire needing 108 runs to secure victory.
Glamorgan, however, will be concerned that they face their third successive championship defeat, after winning the previous four and drawing the other.
The visitors adapted themselves far better on a pitch of variable bounce, while their bowlers were rewarded by bowling a full length which drew the batsmen forward and resulted in catches by the wicketkeeper and slip cordon.
When play resumed on the third morning Gloucestershire increased their lead of 2 to 117 as the tailenders made useful contributions. They also gained four batting points, a creditable achievment as they were without Michael Klinger, their prolific opening batsman, and Ian Cockbain, who is recovering from a broken wrist.
They were also without their two strike bowlers Craig Miles and James Fuller, but David Payne proved a capable deputy by ending with match figures of 8 for 123. When Glamorgan started their second innings, they soon lost Will Bragg , who was out lbw, and Jacques Rudolph, who touched a beauty from Payne to the wicketkeeper.
Three wickets had fallen for only five runs when Aneurin Donald also became a victim of the Payne/ Roderick combination, before Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke resisted briefly with 40 run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Cooke was then leg before to a Liam Norwell inswinger, but Ingram played some handsome strokes through the off side, before he received a ball that reared from a length.
Will Tavare, the acting Gloucestershire captain rotated his seamers in helpful conditions as Craig Meschede and Mark Wallace were dismissed by Payne and Benny Howell respectively, and when Graham Wagg got a vicious delivery from Payne to give Roderick his fifth catch of the innings, Glamorgan were only fifteen runs ahead.
However the Glamorgan tail wagged effectively with Andrew Salter and Michael Hogan adding 59 for the final wicket, with Hogan striking four sixes in his unbeaten 37.
Richard Dawson, the Gloucestershire coach said he “was very proud of his under strength team, especially the bowlers, who bowled perfectly on this pitch. It was an irritating last wicket stand from Hogan and Salter, but we are very confident that we can chase down the 108 required.”
