Gloucestershire skipper Graeme van Buuren started the day off positively for the visitors, completing a century from his overnight score of 36 not out.
After what seemed to be Glamorgan awaiting a declaration from van Buuren for the majority of day four’s play, captain David Lloyd rolled the dice across all his bowlers in the morning and afternoon sessions.
Wickets of Jack Taylor (38) and Zafar Gohar (28) didn’t stop Gloucestershire to keep batting as Tom Price walked out and number nine, scoring his second first-class half century (55 not out).
Eventually, at 569-7, van Buuren pulled the plug on the innings which included 30 overs from part-time off-spinner Kiran Carlson.
After being set 331 to win from 46 overs, Glamorgan looked in trouble after making intentions to chase the total early on.
Lloyd (6) hitting a positive boundary before departing off the bowling of Tom Price in the opening over of the Glamorgan innings.
Colin Ingram (16) bowled by Gohar and Kiran Carlson (1) after playing a loose shot outside the off stump caused some doubt at 38-3 before tea.
With seven wickets required and the run chase out of sight, Eddie Byrom (36 not out) and Billy Root (39 not out) put on an impressive unbeaten partnership of 72 to reach 110-3 before a draw was agreed between the two sides with nine overs remaining in the opening match of Division Two in the LV County Championship despite Glamorgan’s 223-run first innings lead.
Gloucestershire centurion, Graeme van Buuren:
“Coming off not a lot of prep in pre-season, I thought the boys did excellent to come back from day one.” The visitors’ skipper began.
“A lot of teams would’ve rolled so I thought the boys showed some fantastic character.
“It definitely got better to bat on [on day two], it was very low and slow, it wasn’t really flying through but the boys stuck at it very well and we got the points we needed.
“Harry [Marcus Harris] and Denty [Chris Dent] are class and everyone backed them up and to get to a position where we couldn’t lose in my eyes after day one was fantastic and having those foundations when I came in was nice to have.”
Glamorgan Head Coach, Matt Maynard:
“Very happy with the first two days, probably couldn’t have gone much better for us.” Maynard began.
“I think that opening partnership from Gloucestershire in the second innings, they took any sting out of the new ball, played well, rode a little bit of luck early doors but you need that, but played very, very well.
“They made it tough for us and kept on building those partnerships throughout the innings. The good thing is the lads have had 120 overs in their legs, they’ve got used to that which early season will be priceless, we will feel the benefit of that in a couple of weeks’ time against Durham.
“[The pitch] did become docile but early season in Cardiff there is a good chance that’s going to happen anyway even if you have three weeks of dry weather.
“I think Gloucestershire have played really well to get themselves out of a bit of a tricky situation, that opening partnership and other batters coming in played really well and took the game away and gave themselves a little bit of a sniff. But great composure but Eddie Byrom and Billy Root to see out the innings and secure the draw.
