Somerset up first as Glamorgan start term
GLAMORGAN will start their season away to Somerset in Taunton on Saturday, with three of their five four-day games on the road.
The Welsh side also face Worcestershire away, Gloucestershire home, Northamptonshire away and Warwickshire home.
The 18 counties have been split into three geographical groups to limit travelling as part of health precautions in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
“It’s a different look to the County Championship this season with us playing regionally,” Glamorgan director of cricket Mark Wallace told BBC Sport Wales.
He added: “It’s a tough schedule, Somerset first up are one of the stronger teams in Division One so it’s a challenging start, but the opportunity to play any sort of cricket is brilliant because earlier this year it didn’t look like we would be playing anything.”
Despite the counties being in three groups, only two sides with the best records will go through to the final of the firstclass competition.
It is expected Glamorgan will face the same five counties, both home and away, in the T20 Blast starting in late August.
Meanwhile, academy product Alex Horton has signed his first professional contract with Glamorgan.
The 16-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has penned a fiveyear deal which will keep him at Sophia Gardens until at least the end of the 2024 season.
His contract will see him complete the first year of his five-year deal on a development basis, allowing him to finish his GCSEs and train with the first team, before becoming a fully contracted Glamorgan player in 2021.
Horton became the youngest player in Glamorgan history to make his debut for the second XI when he played against Gloucestershire in June last year and struck 58 in the first innings.
He currently plays his senior cricket for Newbridge in the South Wales Premier Cricket League where he made his firstteam debut as a 13-year-old.
“I’m delighted to sign for my home county,” said Horton.
“I’ve always wanted to play for Glamorgan and to be given the chance to be a professional player for the club is a dream come true.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time in the academy and I can’t wait to get started next season. It’ll be a long process but I’m looking forward to working hard.”