Wickets shared as contest remains even
16 May 2016
A century stand between Graham Wagg and David Lloyd checked Gloucestershire's chances of first innings parity against Glamorgan on day two of the Championship fixture at the Brightside Ground.
The pair had added 103 when Wagg (55*) was forced to leave the field after being struck by a ball from Craig Miles, a damaging blow to Glamorgan in more ways than one given his role in their bowling attack.
Lloyd fell one run short of his second Championship century of the summer but Glamorgan still reached 330-9 to give themselves a first innings lead of 68.
By stumps, Gloucestershire had almost erased the deficit at 60-1 with Chris Dent the man out.
Listen to the thoughts of Gloucestershire captain Gareth Roderick here :
Gloucestershire began the day needing early wickets and skipper Gareth Roderick took the view that stifling the Glamorgan batting from their overnight score of 82-1, 180 behind, was more likely to force an error than by through opening bowlers David Payne and Craig Miles.
Both bowled to cautious fields, and while neither Rudolph or Bragg scored quickly they were not unduly troubled, Bragg completing his half century from 96 balls with a well timed cover drive off Payne bringing him his eighth boundary.
Against that backdrop, Rudolph's run out was a bonus wicket, the Glamorgan captain having made 40 when he responded to a call for a single by Bragg only to be beaten by a sharp throw from mid wicket by Cameron Bancroft. It must be said there was a hesitancy to some of Glamorgan's running between the wickets throughout the session.
No doubt fuelled by his mistake, Bragg continued to score the majority of his runs on the off side, including against Shaw when he was introduced after a tidy first spell from Miles. The Yorkshire loanee tried bowling both over and around the wicket to the left hander and eventually got his reward, removing the potential anchor of the innings with the aid of a catch down the leg side by Gareth Roderick for 70.
By this stage Graeme Van Buuren was on at the Pavilion end, bowling his orthodox slow left arm spin with a flat trajectory. Initially against Bragg and Cooke, and then subsequently against Donald, his role was clearly to slow the scoring rate, but he did more than that in the eighth over of his first spell in Championship cricket. Donald had made only seven when he was drawn forward and skipper Roderick picked up a routine stumping.
With no pace in the pitch, Gloucestershire employed three close fielders in front of square and no slips as lunch approached, but Cooke and Lloyd safely reached the sanctuary of the pavilion having reduced Glamorgan's deficit to 96 at 166-4.
Their partnership wasn't to last long beyond the resumption however as Miles tempted Cooke (30) with a short ball and saw him pull it to the deep square leg boundary where George Hankins took a well judged catch.
What followed tilted the match back towards Glamorgan as Graham Wagg joined Lloyd in a valuable stand, the latter being particularly severe on Josh Shaw as he struck three fours in one over. The pair looked to push on before the new ball was due, and had added 67 when Gloucestershire captain Gareth Roderick took it at the earliest opportunity.
Both looked well set at this stage and completed their respective half centuries within minutes of each other, Wagg's coming off 79 balls with seven fours and Lloyd's off 92 deliveries with six boundaries and the only six of the innings off David Payne.
Their partnership was worth 103 in 25 overs when Wagg took a blow from a delivery by Miles and called for the Glamorgan physio to look at his left forearm before subsequently leaving the field. Shaw removed his successor Salter for a duck - caught at the wicket by Roderick - in the four overs that remained before tea, and also accounted for Podmore (3) in the same fashion shortly afterwards.
Conscious of the limited batting that remained Lloyd then swotted a series of boundaries off Shaw to get to 97 only to fall agonisingly short of his century, Van Buuren taking a straight forward catch at point off Miles.
When Hogan holed out to Marshall off Payne for nought, Glamorgan's first innings lead was a handy 68 at 330-9, with Miles and Shaw finishing with three wickets apiece.
20 overs remained on the day's play, enough for Gloucestershire to try and erase the deficit. They almost managed it for the loss of Chris Dent, who was smartly caught two handed in the slips by Donald for three in Podmore's first over.
Without the injured Wagg, Hogan and van der Gugten - along with Podmore - shared the work against Cameron Bancroft and Graeme Van Buuren who both played some pleasing shots in the evening sunshine, especially off the back foot.
Gloucestershire closed on 60-1 and set a tone they'll hope to continue on the third day.
