SWALEC Stadium (third day of four): Leicestershire, with nine second-innings wickets in hand, are 203 runs behind Glamorgan
In making their highest score against Leicestershire on this ground, 558, and at a rate of 4.32 per over, Glamorgan have given themselves every chance of forcing a first win of the campaign.
A flattish pitch may mean that the visiting side need some winkling out today, but their first-innings collapse showed how brittle their batting is.
Glamorgan secured maximum batting points for the first time this season, and well though they played, Leicestershire’s bowling and out-cricket was not of professional standards. A nine-man attack bowled to both sides of the wicket, serving up a smorgasbord of short, wide balls, half-volleys and long hops.
What must have been particularly galling for their coach was the 61 extras, the second time this season that Leicestershire have conceded a half-century in that particular column.
Advertisement
Hungry for runs, as many as three Glamorgan batsmen without a fifty in the championship this year fed voraciously on Leicestershire’s juicy offerings to rid themselves of that millstone.
James Allenby and Mark Wallace played with refreshing freedom in adding 139 in 32 overs for the seventh wicket, with the Welsh wicketkeeper cruising to a thirteenth first-class hundred off 129 balls. Wallace and James Harris then ripped into bowling that verged on club standard, adding 94 in 16 overs, as Leicestershire conceded 500-plus for the second successive match.
The body language of Ramnaresh Sarwan, Leicestershire’s acting captain was none too impressive as Glamorgan amassed their total. Reports of a row with one of his team, Jacques du Toit, were revealed by one of the home players.
When Leicestershire batted again, 287 adrift, they soon lost Greg Smith to a beauty from Harris. Drawn forward, Smith nicked one that lifted and left him to the wicketkeeper. Mike Thornely, though, dug in just as he had done in the first innings, eking out 11 runs in his first 18 overs at the crease. It was something of a surprise, therefore, when he drove Dean Cosker back over his head for six.
Thornely and Ned Eckersley did well to survive a tricky last 45 minutes under grey skies but they, and the batsmen to come, still have much to do to save this match.
Advertisement
Leicestershire: First Innings 271 (M A Thornely 97; J Allenby 4 for 39)
Second Innings
G P Smith c Wallace b Harris 10
M A Thornely not out 36
†E J H Eckersley not out 37
Advertisement
Extras (w 1) 1
Total (1 wkt, 38 overs) 84
Fall of wicket: 1-11.
Bowling: Waters 7-2-6-0; Harris 9-2-17-1; Allenby 5-3-6-0; Cosker 12-2-37-0; Glover 5-1-18-0.
Glamorgan: First Innings (overnight 302-5)
Advertisement
J Allenby lbw b White 61
D A Cosker lbw b White 5
*†M A Wallace c Mommsen b Henderson 118
J A R Harris c Eckersley b Henderson 48
J C Glover not out 6
Advertisement
H T Waters not out 7
Extras (b 15, lb 11, w 3, nb 32) 61
Total (9 wkts dec, 129 overs) 558
Fall of wickets: 1-75, 2-85, 3-188, 4-279, 5-299, 6-309, 7-448, 8-542, 9-547.
Bowling: Joseph 17-0-105-1; Buck 23-4-75-1; White 24-2-98-4; Thornely 9-1-36-0; Du Toit 5-0-19-0; Henderson 33-4-116-3; Cobb 10-0-46-0; Mommsen 2-0-7-0; Sarwan 6-0-30-0.
Umpires: R K Illingworth and G D Lloyd.