There was no play on the opening day of Glamorgan’s first match of the 2019 season against Cardiff MCCU at Sophia Gardens. Rain had fallen overnight and after further spells of heavy showers throughout the morning and afternoon, play was called off at 2.45pm.

With political commentators predicting the end of May before the end of April, the opening week of the month sees the start of Glamorgan’s domestic campaign for 2019 against the student team, drawn from the Universities of Cardiff, South Wales and Cardiff Met.

Cardiff MCCU have already completed their quota of first-class matches for 2019 with a defeat against Somerset at Taunton and a rain-affected draw with Sussex at Hove, with the match against Glamorgan, like last year’s drawn contest, being regarded as just a friendly, rather than a first-class game.

After heavy overnight rain in the Welsh capital, the umpires Alex Wharf and Rob White made an inspection at 1000am at which they decided that there would be no play before lunch. The precipitation however continued to fall during the early afternoon, resulting in play being called off at 2.45pm.

A sublime and unbeaten 108 from Billy Root plus a typically assertive 59 by Graham Wagg helped Glamorgan to 253-8 declared after winning the toss and batting first against Cardiff MCCU at Sophia Gardens. In reply, the students were 56-3 at the close of play

Close of Play Report

Root was unbeaten on 92 when play resumed after tea with Glamorgan on 231/7. He soon reached 96 as he swept Prem Sisodiya for four but next over he lost his partner Graham Wagg who edged a drive against Steven Reingold’s off-spin into the wicket-keeper’s gloves, thereby ending the seventh wicket stand of 128 from 29 overs.

With Timm van der Gugten as his new partner, a cover driven single saw Root reach three figures having faced 158 balls. He celebrated with another sweep for four against Reingold before van der Gugten pulled Brad Evans for four whereupon Glamorgan declared at 5pm leaving the students with a maximum of 90 minutes of batting this evening.

Michael Hogan and Timm van der Gugten opened the bowling with the former striking in his second over as he bowled Reingold. The Dutchman also struck in his fourth over as Lorenzo Machado edged a ball into Chris Cooke’s gloves. Kiran Carlson responded by guiding his county colleague through backward point for four followed by a crisp flick off his legs to the ropes at backward square-leg.

Carlson also added a high-class punch for four through backward point against Hogan before Joe Ludlow guided David Lloyd through the slips for another boundary, but the bowler gained revenge, albeit as the first slip fielder as Ludlow next over edged Craig Meschede’s third delivery into the North Walian’s hands.

44/3 saw Dan Douthwaite join Carlson who shortly afterwards steered Meschede through point for four as the students reached the 50-mark in the fifteenth over.

Teatime Report

Glamorgan resumed on 107/5 after lunch as Billy Root and Jack Murphy continued against the seam bowling of Dan Douthwaite and Brad Evans,. But two wickets tumbled as in the third over after the interval, Evans trapped Murphy l.b.w. before next ball bowling Craig Meschede as he shouldered arms with the ball cannoning onto his stumps. Graham Wagg defiantly survived the hat-trick ball before off-driving Douthwaite with panache.

Root also on-drove and cover-drove Douthwaite for a pair of well-timed fours, before Wagg twice carved Evans over the heads of the slip cordon. The combative all-rounder then welcomed Jack Gibbs back into the attack with a cover driven four. Root then completed his half-century from 86 balls after two hours at the crease by late-cutting Douthwaite for four.

Root celebrated by square-driving Joe Volk for four before being dropped by Brad Evans at square-leg as he pulled the young all-rounder who has played for the county’s 2nd XI as well as for Wales Minor Counties. Another cut by Root brought up the fifty stand. Wagg then clipped Gibbs to fine-leg before drilling him to long-on as the recovery continued.

Root added another boundary to his tally, courtesy of an on-driven four, before Wagg again drove Gibbs to the ropes at extra-cover, followed by a lofted on-drive for four when Prem Sisodiya’s spin was re-introduced into the attack. Root also swept the left-armer for four before Wagg completed his fifty from 68 balls. Root then straight drove Sisodiya for four to complete the century stand in 104 minutes before twice driving him to the ropes at mid-wicket

Morning Update

The Welsh county gave 1st XI debuts to their winter signings Billy Root and Charlie Hemphrey, as well as their new overseas acquisition Marnus Labuschagne.. The latter was in action after the first over as Brad Evans, the Zimbabwean who plays for Cowbridge, trapped Hemphrey l.b.w. with just a single on the board, and the Australian Test batsman was soon into his stride, nurdling Evans for three and four to the vacant third man position before crisply punching Dan Douthwaite for four through extra cover.

But the seamer, who has played List A Cricket for Warwickshire removed Labuschagne later in the over as he feathered a catch into the gloves of Lorenzo Machado. 16/2 saw David Lloyd join Selman and he opened his account with a flick to long-leg and a thick outside-edge for four over the slip cordon. Selman struck his first boundary as he firmly drove Evans through mid-off before Lloyd pulled Douthwaite through mid-wicket for another four, followed next ball by a rasping cover drive.

Lloyd then saw Glamorgan past the 50-mark by pulling Joe Voke for four with shortly afterwards Selman drilling Jack Gibbs through extra cover for another four. But the youngster from Gloucestershire made amends by removing the opener leg before as with the total on.58/3, Root joined Lloyd. He began with a cover driven four against Gibbs before adding a pair of leg-side fours.

Half an hour before lunch Evans returned at the Cathedral Road End and removed Lloyd l.b.w. with the total on 80 as Chris Cooke joined Root. The latter responded by square-driving Evans before Cooke punched Douthwaite through extra cover. But next ball, Douthwaite found the edge of Cooke’s bat with Steven Reingold completing the catch at second slip.

Cardiff MCCU were dismissed by Glamorgan for 230 with Dan Douthwaite making an assertive 95 on the third and final day of their friendly with Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens. Glamorgan then made 110/2 in their second innings with Nick Selman making 46 as the contest ended in a draw,

Close of play report

Glamorgan were 40/0 when play began after tea with Nick Selman quickly into his stride clipping Jack Gibbs to the ropes at deep square-leg before Charlie Hemphrey - after being hit in his lower abdomen – square cut the young seamer with aplomb. Selman also twice clipped Steven Reingold’s off-spin to fine-leg for a pair of deftly struck fours, with Hemphrey also opening his shoulders against the off-spinner and lofting him over long-on for six.

Selman then retired unbeaten on 46 as Marnus Labuschagne had some further batting practice with Kiran Carlson also having a bowl. Hemphrey then struck his second six lofting Carlson over long-off before holing out at deep square-leg as Joe Voke completed the catch. His departure saw David Lloyd make his way to the middle as Labuschagne drilled Reingold for four to long-on to bring up the hundred. He added another four later in the over before sweeping Carlson in front of square for four. He added another boundary in Carlson’s next over before Lloyd drilled a ball back into the hands of his county colleague. Lloyd’s departure signalled the end of the contest.

Afternoon update

Resuming after lunch on 134/7, Dan Douthwaite was five short of his fifty and the all-rounder had a moment of good fortune as he edged Timm van der Gugten into and out of Marnus Labuschagne’s hands at third slip. Prem Sisodiya however did not have the same luck next over as he had his stumps re-arranged by Michael Hogan. Douthwaite then cover-drove the Dutchman for four before running a quick single to mid-on to complete his half-century for 108 balls.

Douthwaite celebrated with a series of lusty blows, pulling Hogan for four before lofting him to long-on and deep fine-leg for successive boundaries. He then plonked van der Gugten into the River Stand for six before harpooning Hogan for a massive six over deep mid-wicket. Not to be outdone, Brad Evans then drove Wagg for three successive fours to bring up the fifty stand before delicately late-cutting Craig Meschede for four to bring up the 200.

Douthwaite also swatted Meschede through mid-wicket for four before Evans nurdled Wagg to third man for another boundary. To the bowler’s ire, Evans then edged Wagg just short of second slip with the ball speeding away to the ropes before Evans pulled him to the mid-wicket ropes for another four. However, Douthwaite’s merry spree ended as Meschede trapped him l.b.w with a full length delivery for 95 before three balls later the all-rounder bowled Jack Gibbs leaving Evans unbeaten on 45 as the student’s innings ended on 230.

With around 150 minutes left in the game, Nick Selman and Charlie Hemphrey opened Glamorgan’s second innings as Douthwaite and Evans resumed their partnership, this time with ball in hand. Hemphrey opened his Glamorgan account with a flick to square-leg for two followed by a clip through backward point for four. Selman also punched Evans through extra cover for four before his partner repeated the stroke.

Shortly before tea, Selman clipped Douthwaite for a couple of fours before on-driving Evans for four.

Morning Report

With his team resuming on their overnight total of 56/3, Kiran Carlson looked like being the centre of attention this morning as the county’s young batsman had the opportunity of further practice against his Glamorgan colleagues. But it was his partner Dan Douthwaite who batted throughout the session and started the day by flicking the first ball from Michael Hogan to fine-leg before off-driving the third to the ropes. Timm van der Gugten then removed Carlson with his third delivery of the day as Oskar Kolk made his way to the middle.

Douthwaite, who last week scored a century for the students against Sussex, again drove Hogan through mid-on before doing the same against van der Gugten. Kolk then outside-edged the Dutchman through a vacant fourth slip before next over edging van der Gugten into the hands of Marnus Labuschagne at third slip as the students lost their fifth wicket on 86.

Sam Pearce, the student’s captain then played a series of leg glances before under-edging a pull to a short ball from Graham Wagg, 93/6 immediately became 93/7 as Joe Voke shouldered arms to his first delivery and lost his off stump. Prem Sisodiya saw the students past the 100-mark by edging Charlie Hemphrey for two before Labuschagne had a spell of wrist spin at the Cathedral Road End. Douthwaite responded by straight driving the Australian for four. Later in Labuschagne’s spell, Billy Root at second slip took up his position by kneeling on the ground, indicating the placid nature of the wicket, rather than if he was praying for catch!