The second day at Cardiff saw Glamorgan finish 15 runs behind Leicestershire’s first innings total, with five wickets still in hand. The visitors have the new ball available in the morning, but Glamorgan will be the happier.
Leicestershire resumed on 285/8, under cloudy skies. The ninth wicket pair of Callum Parkinson and Chris Wright provided continued resistance, putting on 43 before Michael Hogan induced an edge off Wright. A third run out ended the innings with the score on 320.
Glamorgan were then one down in the first over of their reply, thanks to a diving catch from Harry Swindells, off the bowling of Wright. With David Lloyd back in the pavilion, Marnus Labuschagne joined Andrew Salter. After a cautious start, they began to score more fluently, but having been dropped on two, Labuschagne top edged a pull shot off the last ball of the morning session, leaving Glamorgan on 58/2 at lunch.
The afternoon session was dominated by Glamorgan. Salter departed in the second over, giving the Wright, Swindells combination their second wicket. However, from then on it was the two Glamorgan batters, Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson, who dominated, with a mix of boundaries and singles. They both completed half centuries and took the tea time score to 220/3. With a run rate of 4.4 per over, Glamorgan, at that point, looked like taking a lead into day three. Leicestershire had not helped their cause, bowling 13 no balls in the first 50 overs.
Then, as with Glamorgan on day one, Leicestershire fought back in the final session. Wright trapped Carlson lbw, falling 9 runs short of a century. That ended a 182 run fourth wicket partnership and then with the score on 267, Ben Mike trapped Northeast lbw for 84. Not surprisingly, the scoring rate then fell, but Leicestershire continued to contribute to their problems, as Swindells failed to pouch a straightforward catch off Wiaan Mulder, when Cooke was on 9. Debutant Andy Gorvin, alongside Cooke, saw out the rest of the day’s play, the umpires taking the players off the field for bad light, with two overs left, with Glamorgan on 305/5. For Leicestershire, Wright had been the pick of the bowlers with 3/65, while left arm spinner, Callum Parkinson, twin brother of Matt, bowled economically.
With two fine days forecast, all results are still very possible.
