Young batsmen give Glamorgan plenty of cheer

GLAMORGAN fans would have been heartened by the performances of their young batsmen on the final day of their last home game of the season, but would also been disappointed not have witnessed a positive outcome.

The Welsh county, who led by 43 going into the last day of the Division Two County Championship clash, were never in a position to declare after Phil Mustard had opted to prolong the Gloucestershire first innings, instead of declaring some 100 runs adrift.

Mustard said at the end of the third day that he had hoped to gain a lead on first innings, and then take some early wickets to put the opposition under pressure.

This was unlikely to happen as Liam Norwell, his leading wickettaker this season, was unable to bowl, while the Cardiff pitch did nothing to encourage the bowlers throughout the game.

A defeat for either team would not have made any significant difference to their respective positions in the Division Two, and although Mustard did bring himself and Chris Dent into the attack, and offer some easy runs, it was a token gesture with only 47 overs left in the day.

Nick Selman and Andrew Salter batted throughout the morning session, and had put on 185 in 51 overs for the second wicket, before Salter’s career-best score of 88 – his previous best was 84 in the first innings – was caught at slip off Jack Taylor’s off-spin.

Selman went to score his fourth century of the season, before proceeding to his career-best, and also share a rapid 89 run partnership with Kiran Carlson, who made 53, before he went lbw to Dent.

As the light worsened and Mustard hinted he would recall the seamers, the umpires called an early tea.

Glamorgan ended on 353 for three, a lead of 396, with Selman undefeated on 142, and Chris Cooke 46.

Glamorgan captain Michael Hogan said: “Clearly the pitch was a perfect one for batting, and, with weather interruptions, it was going to be difficult to get a result. A stellar field of athletes from across the globe will battle it out on the streets of the Welsh capital at the Cardiff University/Cardiff Half Marathon next month.

Kenyan stars Shadrack Kimining and Violah Jepchumba will defend their Cardiff Half crowns after they sent race records tumbling 12 months ago. But both face serious competition if they want to defend their titles at this year’s event, which was recently awarded the coveted IAAF Silver Road Race label for 2017.

Kimining’s biggest threat on October 1 comes in the shape of countryman Wilfred Murgor, who is the only athlete at this year’s race to have dipped under the hour mark.

A fascinating domestic battle between a trio of Welsh runners will also take place as home favourite Dewi Griffiths looks to better last year’s time

“I am not one who manufactures games by giving easy runs, and a draw was the right result.”

Hogan also said that Colin Ingram will miss the final game against Kent next week, because of injury, while Aneurin Donald is “only 50/50”.

England seamer Toby RolandJones is set to miss this winter’s Ashes after scans confirmed he has a stress fracture in his back.

Roland-Jones had made himself a certain selection if fit in a squad which will be named next week after taking 17 wickets at an average of under 20 in four matches against South Africa and West Indies in his maiden Test summer at the age of 29.

But, after complaining of pain in his side, he had to leave the field mid-over for Middlesex in this week’s penultimate round of Specsavers County Championship Division One fixtures, against Lancashire.

His county subsequently issued a brief statement yesterday afternoon, confirming an injury which has a typical recovery time of between six and 12 weeks.

England’s high-profile winter begins when they leave for Australia on October 28.

It is understood the injury leaves Roland-Jones out of contention to be named in the squad next Wednesday, with the first Ashes Test only two months away – almost to the day, in Brisbane on November 23. of 63:27 as he takes on Team GB World Championship marathon men Andrew Davies and Josh Griffiths.

Swansea Harrier Dewi is fresh from setting his latest big personal best time of 62:53 in finishing seventh in the Great North Run. And the 26-year-old is looking to reduce his time even further against what is shaping up to be one of the hottest fields ever assembled outside the 2016 IAAF World Half Marathon.

“My position was probably better than the time in Newcastle. I had a great month in August and I wanted to take a chunk off my half-marathon this weekend – perhaps a little more than I did,” admitted Griffiths.

“I won’t change my racing or training schedule and we’ll see what happens in Cardiff next month. If I can test myself off the back of some good training and great times next month then that will give me an idea of what I’m capable of.”

Jepchumba will compete in Cardiff two weeks after lowering the Bahraini Half Marathon Record to 1:06:06 whilst winning the Usti Nad Labem Half Marathon.

She remains the fifth-fastest athlete of all time over the Half Marathon distance and the second fastest over 10km. She also starts the race as the defending champion.

Kenyan duo Dorcas Kimeli and Caroline Nyaga will both debut over the distance in Cardiff.

Ethiopia’s Zeineba Yimer was 10th at the IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships in March and is hoping to run faster than her previous best on the 1st of October.

Welsh trio Caryl Jones, Jenny Nesbitt and Elinor Kirk will lead British interest in the women’s race.