What happened to the pitch in Cardiff overnight?
After the excitement of the first two days at Sophia Gardens where 24 wickets fell, day three was far more subdued. Sophia Gardens’ pitches have a history in recent years of becoming easier to bat on as the game progresses and that was certainly borne out today, only four wickets falling all day. The talk after play on day two was whether Glamorgan could somehow set Derbyshire a target of around 200, with the expectation that the game would not need a day four. As it is they are chasing double.
Under blue skies, but a chilly breeze, Colin Ingram and Mason Crane resumed with the home side on 74/4 and it was no surprise to see Alex Thomson, already with 10 victims in the match, continue from the River End. Glamorgan had made use of the heavy roller before play (their second and final of the game) and while there was still turn, the batters were able to negotiate the first 57 minutes of play before Thomson trapped Crane lbw. Crane had scored 19 useful runs, putting on 45 with Ingram. Ingram went on to his 50 from 76 balls, but six balls later ran himself out, backing up too far for a run that was never on and he was well short of his ground at the non-striker’s end. Dan Douthwaite joined Chris Cooke and the two took the score to 166/6 at lunch; a profitable session for Glamorgan having added 92 runs.
The bat dominated in the afternoon session as the pitch flattened out further and Glamorgan added 114 runs for the loss of just one wicket. Cooke reached his 50 off 94 balls and Thomson was eventually rested after bowling 33 overs in succession taking 4/88. The pair put on the first century partnership of the game and Douthwaite was proving his worth to his coach until he drilled the second ball of Thomson’s return over, straight to Dal at mid wicket. The new ball did not halt the flow of runs and Glamorgan went in to tea at 280/7.
After tea Cooke moved to his century, scored off 173 balls and James Harris then collected his first half century since 2019. The field scattered as the batters started to cut loose and when the umpires took the players off at 5:17 for rain, the score had moved to 361/7. 81 runs had been scored since tea at 6 runs per over. The declaration was made and the rain cleared promptly with no overs lost. Alex Thomson has been the stand out performer in the match so far, finishing with 12 wickets.
The Derbyshire openers came out with them requiring 401 from a minimum of 112 overs and Mir Hamza and Harris were right on the mark with both line and length. Harris struck in his second over, removing Harry Came lbw for 3. The score had moved on to 13/1 when the umpires decided the light was inadequate at 18:02. Play resumed 22 minutes later with one over lost. Mason Crane was straight on at the River End and Kiran Carlson replaced Hamza. Crane continued to get significant, albeit slow turn and David Lloyd and Luis Reece reached the end of play unscathed. The players were taken off for a final time with three overs left, the score on 40/1, Lloyd on 24 not out and Reece 13 not out.
The equation for day four is Derbyshire needing a further 361 runs and Glamorgan nine wickets for victory from a minimum of 96 overs, although rain may interfere.
Glamorgan will be confident of securing the win if enough overs can be bowled on the final day, while Derbyshire will take confidence from how the Glamorgan batters played in their second innings, with the likelihood of some weather coming in.
