Leicestershire lead by 132 runs when rain ends play

12 May 2018 | Cricket
Leicestershire were 119/2 when rain ended play shortly after tea on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Glamorgan at Grace Road, after the Welsh county were dismissed for 178 earlier in the day to give the home side a slender first innings lead of 13 runs.

Evening update

Leicestershire began the final session on 109/2, and with a heavy cloud cover, the floodlights were in use immediately as van der Gugten. Mark Cosgrove got a thick-edge to a drive against van der Gugten as light rain started to fall, but shortly afterwards, the precipitation intensified and the players left the field with the home side on 119/2.

Teatime Report

 

Having lost seven wickets for 66 runs during the morning session, Glamorgan lost their eighth still 43 runs in arrears to the third ball after lunch as Varun Aaron bowled Marchant de Lange. Timm van der Gugten responded by biffing Dexter to long-off whilst Andrew Salter drove Aaron to the point boundary for another boundary. But the Indian made amends in his next over as he removed Salter l.b.w.

 

With Glamorgan on 159/9 Hogan joined van der Gugten who used the long handle with good effect to whittle away at the deficit, clipping Aaron for fours to mid-wicket an third man. Hogan also clobbered Raine to long-on for four before being well caught low down by Michael Carberry at mid-on attempting to repeat the stroke to the next delivery leaving Glamorgan 178 all out.

 

The pair were swiftly back into action with the new ball with Paul Horton on-driving Hogan for four and Michael Carberry also cover-driving the red ball captain. Horton also square-cut van der Gugten before drilling the Dutchman to log-on, whilst Carberry greeted the return of David Lloyd to the attach by driving him for four through the covers.

 

Horton also cover drove Lloyd whilst Carberry clipped de Lange to the ropes at square-leg, but the South African made the perfect riposte as later in the over he removed the home captain as he edged a catch low to Chris Cooke. With Colin Ackermann as his new partner, Horton cover drove and late cut successive deliveries from Lloyd to the ropes to complete a 62-ball fifty.

 

But two balls later, Lloyd had an l.b.w. appeal upheld against Horton as Leicestershire lost their second wicket on 76. Mark Cosgrove began by punching Andrew Salter through extra cover for four before Ackermann off-drove de Lange for four

 

Lunchtime Report

 

Glamorgan enjoyed by far the better of the opening day of this contest, with their bowlers performing admirably as a unit before Nick Selman and Jack Murphy plundered some easy runs in the evening session. The net result was that Glamorgan resumed this morning on 82/0 and just 109 runs in arrears on the straw-coloured surface.

 

But there was a dramatic change to the complexion of the innings during the first hours play, starting with the fifth delivery of the morning, as Murphy edged Ben Raine to first slip where Paul Horton, at the second attempt pouched the ball. Shaun Marsh opened his account by driving Raine through mid-off before clipping Varun Aaron to the ropes at square-leg. But the Indian paceman made amends as Marsh edged the next delivery into Lewis Hill’s gloves before Aaron removed Selman in his next over as the opener shouldered arms to a delivery which kissed the top of off stump with Glamorgan on 91/3.

 

Kiran Carlson began by punching Raine through extra cover for four whilst Aneurin Donald twice outside edged Aaron through the vacant gully for four as well as inside-edging him to fine-leg for another boundary. But in the 37th over Donald appeared to get another inside edge as he dragged a pull against Griffiths onto his stumps as Glamorgan slipped to 118/4.

 

Chris Cooke announced his arrival by upper-cutting Neil Dexter for four before Carlson clipped Raine for four through mid-wicket. But the youngster departed in Neil Dexter’s second over as he edged the allrounder into the hands of Mark Cosgrove in the gully. 129/5 then became 133/6 as Chris Cooke was bowled by a delivery from Gavin Griffiths which scuttled through and re-arranged his stumps.

 

David Lloyd responded with a rasping square-drive for four against both Griffiths and Dexter, but in the latter's next over he pulled a delivery straight to Raine at deep backward square-leg as Glamorgan lost their seventh wicket on 145.