Spinners secure win as Glamorgan crumble
18 May 2016
The great unpredictability of cricket was illustrated perfectly in a little over an hour at the Brightside Ground as Glamorgan went from a position of control in their pursuit of victory to one of total disarray.
From 87-0 and with Rudolph and Wallace well set, the introdcution of Graeme van Buuren's left arm spin sparked a collapse that saw Glamorgan lose eight wickets for only 33 runs before tea, van Burren and Craig Miles taking three each and Jack Taylor two.
It was Taylor who then wrapped up the win by 125 runs with the last two wickets after a short break for bad light as Glamorgan, chasing 269 to win, crumbled to 143 all out, Taylor finishing with career best figures of 4-16.
Listen to the thoughts of Jack Taylor and Graeme Van Buuren here :
Gloucestershire's first Championship victory at the Brightside Ground since they beat Kent in May 2014 was achieved at breakneck speed on the final afternoon, given that an hour after lunch Glamorgan appeared to be marginal favourites.
Left with a minimum of 76 overs to chase down the target, the required run rate was not materially ahead of that in the match as a whole, and when an early lunch was taken because of some light drizzle, openers Rudolph and Wallace had chalked off 18 of the required total.
The two left handers consolidated their start after lunch until Wallace plundered four boundaries in an over from Craig Miles. Suddenly Glamorgan looked to be cruising, wicket keeper Wallace reaching his half century in good time off 71 balls. Rudolph's measured shot selection made him an ideal foil and appeared to have given Glamorgan an excellent base, but carnage was to follow.
Graeme Van Buuren had bowled in containing fashion in the first innings, but this time - again from the pavilion end - he was to play a different hand. Wallace was bowled playing a reverse sweep with the total at 87, and in his next over Van Buuren induced an edge from Rudolph (36) which was snapped up by Marshall at slip.
Surprisingly, Glamorgan promoted Andrew Salter up the order, but before he and Will Bragg settled in Van Buuren profited from a loose shot by Bragg, and Jack Taylor's first involvement in the day saw him take a comfortable catch at mid off.
The game was still in the balance but Glamorgan had lost their momentum and the previously expensive Craig Miles then got invlved too. Salter (3) top edged a short ball to the safe hands of George Hankins at long leg, and Cooke had made only four when he clipped a ball off his legs to but not past the diving Bancroft at mid wicket, who clung on to a fine catch. Five wickets had gone down for 15 runs in 10 overs, and when Donald - who also made four - gave Marshall a straight forward catch off Miles, all Glamorgan's confidence appeared to have gone.
It was something of a surprise when Gareth Roderick replaced Van Buuren with Jack Taylor given he had taken 3-15 in nine overs, but the move merely accelerated the path towards 21 Championship points, as Taylor bowled Podmore for one with his first ball, and then removed van der Gugten for a duck with the last delivery before tea, caught by the reliable Marshall at slip.
Not even a short break for bad light could thwart Gloucestershire at this stage, and despite some defiant blows by Graham Wagg, Taylor had the last word on a remarkable afternoon by bowling Wagg for 15 and clinching victory when Cooke (20) edged the last ball of Taylor's sixth over to captain Roderick. Taylor's figures of 4-16 were his best in the Championship, and Glamorgan had lost all 10 wickets for only 56 runs.
Such a comprehensive result had seemed unlikely in the morning session, when Gloucestershire's last two wickets had added 33 runs to nudge Glamorgan's target up to 269 and give the bowlers something to work with.
Hogan, van der Gugten and Podmore shared the wickets between them, and Craig Miles finished 39 not out in a second innings total of 336, the second time in the match he had remained undefeated.
Glamorgan's run chase then appeared to progress in serene fashion until mid afternoon, before one of the most memorable phases of play many on the ground could remember.
