Yorkshire just need three wickets to secure the win and stay ahead of Middlesex
With Sussex and Middlesex winning inside three days, the pressure was on Yorkshire to secure the win in Cardiff. Another excellent bowling display from their talented pace attack, led by the Division’s leading wicket taker, Ben Coad has put them on the brink of that victory. An improved bowling effort by Glamorgan in the morning session, in which Yorkshire lost three wickets for just 28 runs, gave the home side some hope, but Yorkshire were able to build on the 122 run first innings lead. At the end of play Glamorgan were 254 runs behind and it is just a matter of how long it will take Yorkshire to take the last three wickets.
Yorkshire started day three with a 238 run lead and nine second innings wickets in hand. The plan would have been to score quickly enough to guarantee the draw, while giving themselves enough time to bowl Glamorgan out on a pitch that was likely to become flatter. Glamorgan have a shortened batting line up, but did make 550/9 in their previous game in Cardiff, albeit against Leicestershire’s significantly weaker bowling attack. Undoubtedly they would have a go for anything felt attainable.
As it was, the Glamorgan bowlers had the best of the early exchanges. James Harris struck with the fifth ball of the morning, trapping Finlay Bean lbw for 57. Andy Gorvin then nipped a ball back through Matthew Fisher’s gate and in the next over Harris had another lbw appeal upheld, this time against James Wharton. Yorkshire were 144/4.
The Glamorgan bowling was significantly better than in the first two days and Harris struck again, picking up his 600th first class wicket, as Jonny Bairstow (6) was given out lbw to a ball that looked to be sliding down. At 152/5 Yorkshire were on the back foot with a rebuild required. However Timm van der Gugten had other ideas and he clipped George Hill’s off stump as the Yorkshire batter attempted a leave. Hill was the third batter not to make double figures and Yorkshire were 168/6. Jonny Tattersall and Dom Bess halted the slide, as batting became easier against the older ball and the pair took the score to 224/6 at lunch, a lead of 346.
The partnership added another 20 following the resumption, before Tattersall (40) became the 11th lbw of the game to give Ben Morris his maiden first class wicket. Jordan Thompson fell in the same way to van der Gugten in the next over, before Bess (47) was given a life by Ingram at first slip off the Dutchman, only to edge the next ball into the gloves of Chris Cooke. At 252/9 the declaration was no longer an issue and the innings ended on 273, Harris bowling Ben Coad to complete a fifer. Glamorgan were left needing 396 runs to win with 151 overs remaining in the game.
Sam Northeast’s poor run continued as he was bowled by Coad with the third ball of the innings. Asa Tribe and Kiran Carlson were the only batters to put up any significant resistance as wickets fell steadily during the afternoon. Colin Ingram (15) played some aggressive shots, but then chipped Coad to Wharton at mid wicket. Carlson (41) and Tribe put on 64 for the third wicket, before Coad bowled him and then it became a procession. Tribe was still there when bad light ended play with two overs left, having completed a maiden first class half century. Glamorgan would have been in a worse state if Bairstow had held onto a straightforward chance off Fisher when he was on five. As it is they finished on 141/7.
