Two remarkable stands saw Glamorgan secure a first innings lead of 114 at New Road as firstly Jacques Rudolph (111) shared a seventh wicket partnership of 168 with Chris Cooke (93) before a jaunty ninth wicket stand of 124 took place between Andrew Salter (80*) and Lukas Carey (54) as the Welsh county made 381 on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Worcestershire. When bad light halted play, the home side were 34/1.
Evening Update
Having helped to add 77 before tea with Andrew Salter for the ninth wicket, Lukas Carey struck Ed Barnard for three fours in the first over after the interval before pulling Tongue for four in the next over. He then savagely pulled Barnard for four with the ball nearly decapitating umpire Michael Gough who dived to the ground as Carey completed his maiden fifty from 63 balls in the most dramatic of fashion with both the square-leg umpire and a fielder deep on the boundary flat on their backs.
The four-frenzy continued as Salter drilled three successive boundaries later in Barnard’s over as he completed his half-century from 76 balls and in a bid to halt the tidal wave of boundaries, Lyon returned at the Pavilion. He delivered a maiden but Salter continued to find the ropes as he swatted Tongue over the head of the slip cordon for six to see Glamorgan to another batting point on 350.
But one run later, their spirited efforts ended as Carey got a leading edge to a delivery from Tongue and was caught at point having added 124 in 27.1 overs in dramatic fashion with Salter. Michael Hogan duly replaced him and after a flurry of singles harpooned Tongue over extra-cover for four. Salter then pulled Tongue for six and four as the haemorrhage of boundaries continued with Glamorgan securing a lead in excess of 100.
Hogan celebrated by slashing Lyon square for four but Leach returned and saw Hogan drag a ball onto his stumps as Glamorgan ended on 381 with Salter unbeaten on a career-best 80. There were 15 overs remaining when Worcestershire began their second innings with Carey and Timm van der Gugten sharing the new ball with Worcestershire 114 runs in arrears. Daryl Mitchell struck the first boundary of the second innings as he chopped Carey through point before Brett D’Oiveira pulled the youngster for four.
Mitchell also on-drove van der Gugten before pulling Hogan for four. But the red ball captain made the perfect reply as next delivery Mitchell edged to first slip where Colin Ingram safely pouched the ball. 22/1 saw Tom Fell make his way to the crease as clouds started to build over the ground and after a pair of fours by D’Oliveira, the players left the field for bad light with the home side on 34/1,
Teatime Report
Glamorgan began the post-lunch session on 202/6 and a single by Rudolph against Tongue brought up the 150 stand, before the opener on-drove Lyon for another high-class boundary. Cooke also despatched the Australian through the covers for four before nonchalantly clipping Tongue to the ropes at mid-wicket.
With the total on 225 Rudolph had a life as Joe Leach dropped a sharp return chance when the home captain returned at the Diglis End in a bid to break the stand. But next over, and with the total on 226, Leach made the breakthrough as Cooke, on 93, chipped a ball to Joe Clarke who had been positioned at silly mid-on, thereby ending the partnership which had added 168 in 49.3 overs and had reduced the deficit to 41 runs.
Five balls later, Rudolph followed Cooke back to the pavilion as he chopped Leach onto his stumps and departed for 111. Andrew Salter and Lukas Carey each drilled Leach through the covers for four to continue the riposte as drizzle started to fall and led to the umpires consulting. It was however just a brief shower as play continued with Salter late-cutting Lyon for four to secure a second batting point.
With Glamorgan on 260/8, Worcestershire took the new ball as Leach switched to the Pavilion End with Ed Barnard operating at the Diglis End. Carey bisected second and fourth slip with a thick outside edge before seeing Glamorgan into the lead by straight-driving the opposition captain. He then drove Barnard for four through extra-cover, before Salter off-drove the young seamer to bring up the 50-stand followed by a flowing cover drive for four against Leach, plus a nurdle to the ropes at third man against Tongue as another batting point approached.
A delivery from Tongue was then pierced through the slip cordon by Salter before the young seamer was clipped to the ropes at mid-wicket by Salter. Carey duly saw Glamorgan to the 300-mark by lashing Tongue through point
Lunchtime Report
June 9th, 2017 will go down in British politics as a remarkable and topsy-turvy day. The latter could equally have been said yesterday at New Road where, on the opening day of this contest, the home side recovered from 14/3 after being put in to bat to reach 267 thanks to half-centuries from Ben Cox and Ed Barnard, plus a career-best 41 from Josh Tongue.
The nineteen year-old then produced a remarkable spell of bowling claiming 5/3 in the space of nineteen balls as Glamorgan nosedived to 76/6. The teenager resumed this morning at the Diglis End with Chris Cooke square-driving his fourth delivery. Barnard operated at the Pavilion End and was savagely square-cut for four by Cooke.
Shortly afterwards, Jacques Rudolph cover-drove Barnard for four to complete an 88-ball fifty, before Cooke added another couple of fours to his tally through backward point and extra cover as Glamorgan reached the 100-mark in the 28th over. Rudolph then greeted the introduction of Jack Shantry into the attack by driving successive balls from the left-armer to the ropes at extra cover.
Cooke also pulled Tongue for six over deep square-leg before guiding Joe Leach to the third man boundary when the home captain returned at the Diglis End. Cooke also square drove Shantry for three before Rudolph deftly guided the left-armer through the gully for another boundary.
The spin of Nathan Lyon was introduced after an hour’s play and with his fourth delivery the Australian found the edge of Cooke’s bat only for the catch at slip to be spilled. He celebrated his good fortune by completing his fifty from 68 balls before on-driving Lyon to bring up the century stand before the pair went past the stand of 106 by Jonathan Hiughes and Robert Croft at New Road in 2002 which had previously been the Club’s best seventh wicket partnership against Worcestershire.
It was then all spin for the home side as Brett D’Oliveira entered the attack at the Diglis End with Cooke clipping a full toss from the wrist spinner to the ropes at mid-wicket, followed by an exquisite late cut for four. The obdurate Rudolph continued to work the ball around for singles as he quietly moved in an ruffled way towards his first century in the Championship since 2015 (when he made 105 against Leicestershire at Grace Road) with the former red-ball captain reaching three figures by deftly late cutting Lyon to the point boundary.
In the final over before lunch, Cooke clipped Tongue over the head of the slip cordon as Glamorgan secured their first batting point.