Glamorgan were 11/1 when bad light ended play as they were chasing a target of 181 to end the season with a victory after Leicestershire were dismissed for 283 shortly after tea on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship at Grace Road with Timm van der Gugten taking 4/81 and Michael Hogan 3/55.
Evening Report
With the new ball just four balls old, Glamorgan were looking to end Leicestershire’s resistance with the home side on 261/6 and a lead of 158 runs. Michael Hogan and Timm van der Gugten were swiftly back in the action, with Neil Dexter on-driving the former before Clint McKay cover-drove the latter. But with the total on 272 van der Gugten trapped McKay leg before.
Ben Raine joined Dexter but he only had a brief stay at the crease before chipping a ball back into Hogan’s hands. 283/8 immediately became 283/9 as Hogan trapped Dieter Klein l.b.w.- his 49th Championship wicket of the summer – before Charlie Shreck survived the hat-trick ball. But next over van der Gugten ended both Dexter’s resistance and the Leicestershire innings as he bowled him for 73 to leave Glamorgan a target of 181.
There were - in theory - 20 overs remaining in the day as Nick Selman and Jack Rudolph began with a sequence of singles, but in the fifth over Dieter Klein had an l.b.w. appeal upheld against Selman as night-watchman Owen Morgan made his way to the middle. In the next over, Rudolph glided McKay to third man for four, but with the light having deteriorated, the umpires took the players off the field in the sixth over.
Afternoon Report
Leicestershire resumed after lunch on 144/2, or in effect 41/2 with Mark Cosgrove and Neil Dexter knowing that there was plenty of batting to be done in order to put their side into the ascendancy. Timm van der Gugten and Michael Hogan resumed the bowling duties with the latter being twice off-driven to the ropes by his fellow countryman as the home captain struck the first boundary of the session.
Cosgrove, whose career in professional cricket has seen him go from larrikin to leader, was also content to garner a series of swift singles as Dexter unfurled a series of more flamboyant strokes, cover driving van der Gugten and pulling Hogan. Lukas Carey and Craig Meschede then had another spell in tandem with the former having a couple of l.b.w. shouts turned down against Cosgrove, as well as an appeal for a catch down the leg-side.
In contrast, Dexter continued to play with more freedom, cover-driving and square-cutting Carey, before Cosgrove ended his sequence of singles by dispatching Meschede to the ropes at extra-cover.. But the all-rounder had the last laugh as with the total on 198, he bowled Cosgrove. Ned Eckersley opened his account by biffing Carey through the covers for four before doing the same off the back foot to Meschede. But Hogan returned at the Bennett End and removed Eckersley who chipped the ball in the air straight to Owen Morgan at mid-wicket
213/4 saw Mark Pettini join Dexter as van der Gugten returned for another salvo at the Pavilion End. Dexter greeted him by steering him to third man for four but the changer did the trick as the Dutchman bowled Pettitni as the former Essex batsman chopped the ball onto his stumps.
Dexter then completed his fifty from 99 balls before Glamorgan took the new ball with Leicestershire on 254/5 after 81 overs and a few overs of spin before Hogan and van der Gugten joining forces shortly before tea. The Dutchman made an immediate impact as with his second delivery he trapped Dearden l.b.w.
Morning update
Last weekend the streets of central Cardiff had been transformed into the City of the Unexpected as part of the centenary celebrations for the birth of Roald Dahl. Yesterday at Grace Road, an equally unusual set of happenings took place under a heavy cloud cover on a biscuit-coloured surface as 20 wickets tumbled inside 72 overs, with some probing seam bowling, plus some loose strokes contributing to a parade of batsmen to and from the Leicester pavilion
For Glamorgan Timm van der Gugten took his 50th Championship-wicket of the summer, and his fifth ‘five-for’ to become the joint most effective bowler in first-class cricket this summer, equalling the efforts of Essex’s Graham Napier, Somerset’s Jack Leach and Sussex’s Steve Magoffin who have also claimed five five-wicket hauls this summer.
For the home supporters, van der Gugten’s outstanding efforts efforts left them fearing another defeat inside two days at their headquarters but from a Leicestershire point of view, normal service was restored as, facing a deficit of 103 runs, Paul Horton and Angus Robson guided their side to 78/0 at the end of play.
After a night’s rest, Glamorgan’s bowlers were looking to regain the initiative this morning and replicate the clatter of wickets which had taken place before lunch yesterday. Once again, there was a gunmetal grey skyline as Michael Hogan and van dee Gugten resumed the bowling duties, whilst David Lloyd acted as 12th man with Aneurin Donald hors de combat after being struck a painful blow on his collarbone whilst fielding last night at short extra cover.
Following some scampered singles in the opening overs, Angus Robson duly completed his fifty from 80 balls by cover-driving van der Gugten, followed later in the over by a more streaky boundary through the gully and then a thick outside edge through a vacant third slip. Horton then brought up the hundred and wiped off the arrears as he nurdled Hogan through the gully.
Lukas Carey then entered the attack and with successive deliveries beat the outside edge of Horton’s bat, whilst Craig Meschede had a spell at the Pavilion End during which he was driven square of the wicket by Robson. Carey then had a loud appeal for l.b.w. against Horton turned down before being firmly square-cut for four by Robson.
With the total on 123 Meschede made the breakthrough as Horton edged into the safe hands of Nick Selman at second slip. As Neil Dexter was making his way to the middle rain started to fall and the players left the field with Leicestershire leading by 20 runs. It proved to only be a short stoppage for fifteen minutes and with the fourth ball after the interruption, Carey found the edge of Robson’s bat with Will Bragg at first slip completing the regulation catch. 123/2 saw Mark Cosgrove join Dexter who was beaten several times on the outside edge as Meschede continued his probing spell. Dexter though opened his account with a firm off-drive against the all-rounder before Cosgrove cut Carey for four.