Championship Report: Warwickshire at Glamorgan

Day Three: Close of play

Warwickshire gained a resounding win at Colwyn Bay with a day and 12 overs to spare, to consolidate their position as leaders of Division 2 with four games remaining.

The margin of victory, an innings and 35 runs, clearly demonstrated the difference between the two teams-the leaders Warwickshire well equipped in every department, with bottom club Glamorgan fielding a young inexperienced team who have been without many of their established players for most of the season.

Warwickshire now have a comfortable lead at the top of the table, and if Kent fail to beat Derbyshire today, they would be clear favourites to return to Division 1. Their captain Jeetan Patel lead by example, ending with 7/83 which included his 800th first class wicket.

Patel mesmerised the Glamorgan batsmen as he exploited the rough created by Keith Barker bowling his left arm seamers from the other end. Not only did the skilful spinner get turn and bounce, but also confused the batsmen with his ability to obtain drift with two slips and a bat—pad in attendance.

This was Glamorgan’s seventh loss, and their third successive innings defeat and without an overseas player and four front line bowlers, it has been a difficult season for everyone concerned. The arrival of Stephen Cook, from South African for the remaining four championship games should bring some stability to the top order and help the young, inexperienced batsmen.

The 35-year-old Cooke has played in four Tests, has scored 44 test centuries and last year played for Durham in the county championship. He will make his debut for Glamorgan in their next championship game against Derbyshire which starts on Tuesday.

After batting for 10.3 overs on the third morning, Warwickshire gained 300- run lead on first innings, and apart from two useful partnerships, wickets fell at regular intervals, especially in the afternoon session.

Nick Selman, who has been out of runs and short of runs, took 32 balls to get off the mark and laboured through 38 overs, facing110 balls before he was out for 14. Carlson and Lloyd put on 56 for the fourth wicket, but the highest partnership came from the last wicket pair of Smith and Hogan.

They put on 63 from only 6.2 overs, with Smith scoring an undefeated 52 from 40 balls, before Hogan was bowled by his opposing captain for an enterprising 28.

Day Two: Close of play

While England’s batsmen were floundering at The Ageas Bowl, the batsman who many would have selected for the fourth Test, was scoring his third championship century of the season- this time a double hundred -against Glamorgan, exceeding 20,000 first class runs, and guiding his team to a commanding position at the end of the second day at Colwyn Bay.

Ian Bell came to the crease in the 11th over, and when he was out 109 overs later for 204, his aggregate against Glamorgan this season stood at 425 having scored 106 and 115- both not out- in the earlier game at Edgbaston. He has been at the crease against the Welsh county this season for 18 hours, faced 743 balls having struck 53 fours and two sixes.

Unlike his centuries in Birmingham, the former England batsman did give two chances- one straightforward, the other more difficult, but his batting overall was again a splendid exhibition of classy strokeplay, punctuated by those glorious trademark strokes through the offside.

There was generous applause when he guided the ball to third man to reach his century, then more acknowledgment four runs later when he reached his personal milestone, and when he was eventually dismissed five overs before the close, Bell was given a standing ovation and handshakes from the Glamorgan players.

When play resumed in the morning, nightwatchman Chris Wright gave his senior partner useful support by putting on 56 before Wright miscued against Meschede and saw his leg stump knocked back.

Sam Hain then joined Bell, to play an attractive innings of 61, only his second championship fifty of the summer- and share a partnership of 121 for the fifth wicket. The stand was broken when Carlson held on to a fierce drive from Hain at extra cover to give Rory Smith his second wicket.

Warwickshire were building partnerships for every wicket, and the stand for the sixth wicket produced another 62 runs, with Tim Ambrose scoring 22 before he was leg before to David Lloyd. Bad light then caused a seven over delay, with Warwickshire needing a further 54 runs in eight overs to gain maximum batting points.

With plenty of time left in the game, they opted to consolidate and build up a sizeable lead and with Keith Barker providing more support there followed another fifty plus partnership stand- the fifth of the innings. Glamorgan’s depleted attack did take an eighth wicket, but by then Warwickshire were 445 for 8- a lead of 242.

Day One: Close of play

Warwickshire’s big away following had plenty to enjoy on the first day of the Specsavers County Championship match against Glamorgan at Colwyn Bay.

The Bears closed the day in the lovely north Wales outground strongly-placed on 116 for three in reply to the home side’s 203 all out.

Olly Stone (four for 28) and Jeetan Patel (three for 23) led a disciplined collective effort with the ball to bowl Glamorgan out before tea. Warwickshire then lost both openers with 43 on the board but Ian Bell, who went to the crease needing 104 runs to reach 20,000 in first-class cricket, reached the close unbeaten on 43 (88 balls) to ensure that his side ended the day narrowly on top.

After early-morning rain, the toss was uncontested as Warwickshire took up the option to bowl to try to exploit moisture in the conditions. They did so efficiently as four bowlers got among the wickets in the first session.

Keith Barker had Nick Selman caught behind in the fifth over and

Ryan Sidebottom removed Jack Murphy in similar fashion in the tenth. If those were regulation catches for wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose, his next was brilliant, diving low in front of slip to pouch Connor Brown off Stone.

From 38 for three, Glamorgan rallied through a half-century stand by Kiran Carlson and David Lloyd but it was broken just before lunch when the former (32, 57 balls) was bowled on the back foot by Patel’s sixth ball.

After taking four wickets in the first session, Warwickshire then followed up with six in the second. Lloyd edged Barker to Bell at third slip and former Bears all-rounder Graham Wagg was trapped lbw by Patel before Stone hit his straps in a blistering spell of 8-2-19-3 from the Embankment End.

He hit Chris Cooke’s stumps with a fast, straight delivery, rattled Andrew Salter’s with a peach of a ball which pitched middle and hit off, then ousted Ruaidhri Smith, caught by Bell at third slip.

Craig Meschede (53 not out, 75 balls) saw his side to a bowling point but was left stranded when Patel bowled Michael Hogan to move to 799 first-class wickets – just one short of becoming only the fourth New Zealander to take 800.

Warwickshire were left with a full session to bat and batting remained far from straightforward as the ball continued to move around. Dom Sibley was lbw, struck on the back leg, to Meschede and then Will Rhodes, having just hit three sweet boundaries from successive balls by Hogan, edged Wagg’s third delivery to the keeper.

From 43 for two, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott added 63 from 18 overs before the latter 28 (50 balls) drove at Smith and edged to second slip.