Stumps day three: Glamorgan 351 (Wagg 83, Maschede 78; Claydon 5-106) & 22/0 lead Kent 282 (Dickson 75, Rouse 65; van der Gugten 5-79) by 91 runs
The eyes of the world might not have been focussed on The SSE SWALEC, Cardiff today, given the amount of international sport taking place around Europe but young bowlers with ambitions to play at the highest level would have been well-advised to watch the bowling of Michael Hogan and Timm van der Gugten against Kent today.
While England were taking on Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge in the first ODI and Germany faced Northern Ireland in Marseille’s Euro 2016 showpiece, the pacemen – who both learned their trade in Australia – bowled with outstanding control and accuracy, expertly leading the Glamorgan attack on a day when eking out 10 wickets was far from easy.
Glamorgan did exactly that though, as Kent were eventually rolled out for 282 – 69 runs short of the home side’s first innings total.
Van der Gugten did the early damage – as early as the first ball of Day Three – when he located Daniel Bell-Drummond’s edge and Will Bragg caught him smartly at slip to leave Kent 10/1.
Joe Denly then lost his off stump when a fierce delivery from van der Gugten jagged back to the right-hander.
Graham Wagg was having one of those Graham Wagg games. The all-action all-rounder hit a sublime 83 to steer Glamorgan to 351 yesterday and followed it up today when he took two wickets in quick succession to establish the Welsh county as the game’s frontrunners on the third morning.
Wagg enticed Sam Northeast (6) into a drive outside the off-stump before bowling Tom Latham for 28 to ensure Kent were wobbling precariously at 57/4.
That quickly turned into 85/5 when Craig Meschede dismissed the dangerous Darren Stevens. The veteran allrounder dragged back onto his furniture for 14 and Glamorgan smelt blood.
Unfortunately for the hosts, they came across Sean Dickson in resolute mood and their efforts to enforce the follow-on and push for victory were stalled.
South African-born batsman Dickson waited patiently for anything short or wide, picking off the occasional boundary square of the wicket.
At the other end was rookie keeper-batsman Adam Rouse, whose innings of 65 was split in two. Rouse aggravated a finger injury when he was struck on the hand by a rising delivery from Wagg and departed the field on 31 not out. But when Dickson flirted at a wide ball and feathered through to Wallace for 75, Rouse returned.
He and Calum Haggett added a few more before Rouse was pinned LBW by the unerring Hogan for 65 and Haggett nicked another catch to Wallace behind the stumps for 24 off van der Gugten.
James Tredwell hit a breezy 37 to end the Kent innings, but the visitors’ deficit of 69 reflected how much better Glamorgan bowled.
To pay tribute only to Hogan would be to do an enormous disservice to Van der Gugten and vice versa. The ‘Flying Dutchman’ is fast becoming a fan favourite in South Wales and he returned a career-best 5/79 from 26.3 overs. A second successive first-class five-for.
Hogan, in conceding 24 runs from 19 immaculate overs, can consider himself unlucky to have only picked up two wickets. His second was tail-ender Matt Coles, caught by Bragg again at slip, before van der Gugten finished the job with another LBW, Mitch Claydon departing for a 12-ball duck.
Again, there were a few overs to negotiate at the end of the day, which were solidly seen out by Jacques Rudolph and Mark Wallace. Glamorgan finished 22/0 – leading by 91 – but barring an astonishing final day, a draw is the strong favourite.
