Despite 65 by Will Bragg, Leicestershire completed a dramatic 26-run victory over Glamorgan shortly after lunch on the third day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Grace Road with the Welsh county losing six wickets for ten runs in the space of 28 balls after lunch
Close of Play Report
Glamorgan went to lunch on 136/4 with Bragg unbeaten on 57, and a further 45 runs needed for victory. Charlie Shreck’s first delivery disappeared for four leg-byes but in the second over after the interval the complexion of the game completely changed Clint McKay dismissed Kiran Carlson and Craig Meschede with successive deliveries as the umpire upheld both l.b.w. appeals.
144/6 then became 145/7 as Mark Wallace feathered his first delivery from Shreck into the wicket-keeper’s gloves, before three balls later van der Gugten was trapped l.b.w. by the tall fast bowler. After a flurry of singles, Michael Hogan edged McKay into Eckersley’s gloves before next over Bragg miscued a cover drive against Shreck to deep extra cover where Harry Deardon, to the delight of the home supporters completed the catch to give the home side a dramatic victory by 26 runs.
Lunchtime Report
The wholehearted efforts of the Glamorgan seamers yesterday – as at Chelmsford last week – were rewarded with a clatter of wickets, leaving Timm van der Gugten with a seasonal tally of 56 Championship wickets and 82 in all formats, whilst Michael Hogan ended with 49 first-class scalps. Despite missing out of the 50-wicket barrier, the Australian did have something to smile about as he collected his 450th scalp in all first-class games during Leicestershire’s second innings.
Glamorgan were left with a target of 181 to win with two full days plus in theory 20 overs last night, but mid-way through the sixth over the umpires took the players off the field as the light had deteriorated.
This meant that Glamorgan began this morning needing a further 170 runs to emulate the achievements of Matthew Maynard’s Championship winning team of 1997 by securing victories in their last two games of the summer. In the years since the heady celebrations at Taunton – which could be heartily repeated by Somerset supporters during the course of the next 48 hours (or more!!) – Glamorgan have never ended their season with back-to-back victories.
Jacques Rudolph and night-watchman Owen Morgan resumed under leaden grey skies again – befitting a day which in meteorological terms marks the start of autumn – with Dieter Klein and Clint McKay looking to make further inroads into the visitor’s batting. Rudolph clipped Klein’s first ball, a full length delivery on leg stump, to fine-leg for four.
But Rudolph edged the fourth ball of the over to first slip where Paul Horton completed a tumbling catch as Will Bragg made his way to the middle. He also nicked his first delivery but the ball bisected first slip and the wicket-keeper. Morgan then late-cut McKay for four before struck on the gloves by a full toss from Klein, which was called a no-ball by the umpire.
After treatment from the physiotherapist, he nonchalantly clipped the South African for four to square-leg but Klein then switched to around the wicket and with his first delivery, sent Morgan’s middle stump cartwheeling out of the ground. Aneurin Donald, who had recovered from the blow on his collar-bone on the opening day, then joined Bragg needing 40 to complete 1,000 Championship runs for the season.
Bragg edged McKay to third man for three, before Donald opened his account with a pair of cuts for two against Klein, followed by a glide to third man for four before the Springbok left the field for treatment. Shreck duly entered the attack in his place and was drilled through mid-off for four by Bragg.
McKay switched to the Bennett End and had a couple of l.b.w. appeals turned down against Donald, whilst Bragg edged Shreck through the gully for four. Shortly afterwards, Donald nurdled Shreck for four before Ben Raine replaced McKay at the Bennett End and was on-driven for four by Bragg. But with the total on 89, Shreck ended Donald’s hour-long stay at the crease as the youngster – on 23 - edged to second slip, leaving Kiran Carlson to join Bragg still with 92 runs needed.
Klein briefly returned to the attack and was twice flicked to the ropes at square-leg by Bragg before McKay had another salvo before lunch, this time in tandem with Neil Dexter. Carlson flicked the all-roundcer to fine-leg for four before Bragg completed a 72-ball fifty with a similar shot against McKay. The session ended with Carlson cover-driving McKay for four as Glamorgan went to lunch needing 45 to win.