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Match Report - Gloucestershire v Glamorgan - Day 4

26 June 2019

Michael Hogan claimed match figures of seven for 73 as Glamorgan moved to the top of the Specsavers County Championship Second Division table with a four-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol.

The 38-year-old Aussie seamer added figures of four for 22 to his three first innings wickets to help bowl out the home side for 161 from an overnight 41 for two.

Gloucestershire lost their last five wickets for 16 runs after lunch, Graham Wagg taking two of them. James Bracey and Benny Howell each made 33, but a target of 188 from 49 overs put the visitors in a good position.

So it proved, Marnus Labuschagne continuing his prolific season with 82 and Billy Root contributing 31 as Glamorgan reached 188 for six with 6.5 overs to spare. They took 20 points to Gloucestershire’s six and overtake Lancashire at the summit of Division Two by a single point, having played one more game.

A draw looked the most likely outcome when the hosts led by 67 at the start of play. But soon both overnight batsmen were out as Hogan had Gareth Roderick caught at second slip for 20 and Bracey’s innings was ended when he was lbw to a full delivery from Dan Douthwaite.

Jack Taylor made 16 before becoming another leg-before victim, this time for David Lloyd, who then spilled a straightforward catch at first slip to give Howell a life off Marchant de Lange with the score 129 for five.

Gloucestershire were only 157 ahead at lunch and it looked a potentially costly error. Howell, who had also survived a tougher chance to Nic Selman at second slip, was unbeaten on 27 at the interval.

But Lloyd soon atoned. With the total on 145 and the lead 171, he produced a sharp catch to his left to dismiss Ryan Higgins for six and give Hogan his third wicket.

Soon it was 149 for seven as Hogan bowled Howell. David Payne was caught behind trying to withdraw the bat from a delivery by Wagg, who then had Josh Shaw caught at point off a loose shot.

Joined by last man Matt Taylor, Graeme van Buuren went on the attack and edged a catch behind the ball after pulling de Lange for four.

Gloucestershire’s tail had offered little resistance and, with the sun breaking through, Glamorgan set about their second innings in some of the best batting conditions of the match.

Selman fell cheaply, caught by Jack Taylor at point, cutting at a short ball from Payne. But Labuschagne and Charlie Hemphrey calmed any nerves in the visiting dressing room by adding 50 before tea.

Glamorgan still needed another 132 off 36 overs. In the final session Hemphrey was brilliantly caught by Chris Dent, diving forward at cover, off Shaw, without adding to his score of 15.

But Labuschagne moved confidently to his second half-century of the match off 61 balls, with 7 fours, before Lloyd was bowled by Matt Taylor off an under edge for eight with the score on 85.

Not afraid to dance down the wicket to the seamers, Labuschagne showed why he is comfortably the leading run-maker in the Championship this season.

Root, dropped at mid-off by Matt Taylor off van Buuren, was mortified to lift Shaw straight to cover and when Labuschagne was caught behind off the tireless Payne, 35 were still required.

Douthwaite fell to Shaw near the end, but the experienced Wagg calmly saw Glamorgan home. It was Gloucestershire’s first defeat in the competition since August last year, a run of 11 games unbeaten.

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