Gloucestershire fight back against Glamorgan

Gloucestershire fight back against Glamorgan

At the end of the second day of the Severnside derby at the Brightside Ground in Bristol between these old rivals, honours are even. The hosts just eight runs behind the Welsh county with nine second innings wickets in tact.

In reply to Gloucestershire’s first innings of 262, Glamorgan were bowled out for 330. In reply the home side are 60/1 in their second innings.

The highlight of the day was a fine knock of 99 by the North Walian David Lloyd, who celebrated his 24th birthday yesterday and narrowly missed his second Championship century of the summer, and his career.

Lloyd is another product of Shrewsbury School and looks to be a player with a fine future. He has a well organised defence and showed no mercy on anything short, with a particular liking for pulling through mid wicket. His 99 came from 120 balls with 15 fours and one six. He shared in an unbroken stand of 104 for the sixth wicket with Graham Wagg (55), which only ended when Wagg had to retire hurt after a blow to the forearm after which he didn’t appear for the rest of the day.

Glamorgan began the day on 82/1 from 26 overs in response to Gloucestershire’s first innings of 262, with skipper Jacques Rudloph not out 33 and Will Bragg unbeaten on 45.

Soon after Bragg reached his half-century, at 97/2, the pair indulged in a mid pitch yes/no interlude that ended in the South African being run out for 40 as a result of a terrific throw from Cameron Bancroft with only one stump to aim at.

Bragg and Chris Cooke took the score to 137 in largely untroubled fashion until Bragg, attempting to pull a short ball from Josh Shaw, top-edged to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick for 70.

Aneurin Donald, who recorded his highest first-class score at Bristol last summer, was not to repeat his success this time. He became the first Championship victim of 25-year-old South African all rounder Graeme Van Buuren, when the slow left arm spinner completely deceived his forward stroke to have him stumped for 7.

Van Buuren settled into an accurate spell from the Pavilion End and looks a decidedly useful acquisition with both ball and bat, particularly with the white-ball season almost upon us.

At lunch, Glamorgan were 166/4. They had added just 84 from 34 overs, losing three wickets. The morning session belonged to the hosts and in the first over after lunch Cooke’s solid effort was ended in wasteful fashion, as he pulled a short delivery from Miles to the square leg boundary where George Hankins pocketed the catch.

Glamorgan looked as if they may be squandering their strong overnight position with half the side out and still 96 in arrears, but Graham Wagg joined David Lloyd to bolster the Welsh effort.

Lloyd looked impressive and raced Wagg to the half- century mark. It was a race that Wagg won, getting there on 79 balls. Lloyd reached the same mark in the next over, pulling a long hop from David Payne high over the deep square leg boundary rope. Glamorgan’s immediate post -lunch wobble had been steadied, as another Lloyd boundary took the visitors into the lead at the same time as the sixth wicket stand passed 100.

It was here the Glamorgan innings stalled again. Wagg ducked into a ball from Miles that didn’t lift as he expected, was hit on the left arm and had to retire hurt on 55. Andrew Salter was out immediately caught behind from Josh Shaw at 272/6.

Lloyd was 79 not out at tea, which was taken at 294/6 with Glamorgan in the driving seat for the afternoon session.

After tea, Harry Podmore inside-edged Shaw to Roderick for 3. Meanwhile Lloyd took advantage of some loose bowling from Shaw, cracking him three times to the mid- wicket boundary to take him into the nineties. But he eventually fell, agonisingly one run short of his second Championship century, slashing Miles to point. It was an excellent effort, which richly deserved three figures.

With Wagg not reappearing the Glamorgan innings finished when Hogan lofted Payne to deep mid- off.

Some of the Gloucestershire bowling was too wayward after lunch when Glamorgan took the initiative. Shaw, the Yorkshire loanee, was particularly guilty although he shared six wickets with Miles. Van Buuren made a promising Gloucestershire debut taking 1/47 from 17 accurate overs.

Facing a deficit of 68, Gloucestershire had 20 overs to face tonight. Dent continued his recent poor run of form, after an excellent start to the season, when he was caught at second slip in Podmore’s first over for 3. But Bancroft (35 not out) and Van Buuren, unbeaten on 22 saw the home side safely to the close.

With heavy rain forecast for Bristol for the final day it seems that there may have to be a dramatic day tomorrow if this game is not to be the third successive draw at Nevil Road this season.

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