Bracey offers stern resistance before Glam seal victory

JAMES Bracey’s second Specsavers County Championship century was not enough to save Gloucestershire from a six-wicket defeat by Glamorgan at Bristol.

The 20-year-old left-hander battled away for seven hours and 28 minutes to make an unbeaten 120, receiving excellent support from Ryan Higgins (61), Dan Worrall (50) and Matt Taylor (48), all three career-bests, as the hosts fought their way to 372 all out.

That set Glamorgan 83 to win in 21 overs. Nick Selman led the way with 36 as his side posted 85 for four, Aneurin Donald ending the game with a six in the 13th over, and took 22 points to Gloucestershire’s two.

The day began with Gloucestershire 133 for five, needing 157 to make the visitors bat again. Bracey, who was on 34, and Higgins comfortably negotiated the first 45 minutes.

Glamorgan skipper Michael Hogan made the breakthrough with the total on 184, trapping Higgins lbw playing half-forward.

Gloucestershire’s winter signing from Middlesex had faced 76 balls and hit 8 fours.

The stand with Bracey, whose halfcentury occupied 141 deliveries, was worth exactly 100.

Kieran Noema-Barnett contributed 12 before dragging a ball from Carey onto his stumps and departing with the total on 205.

Bracey remained unruffled, even when, with his score on 57, Shaun Marsh claimed a catch at square-leg off a pull-shot, but the umpires ruling that the ball had not quite carried.

Lunch was taken at 239 for seven. Early in the afternoon session Worrall, on 27, was dropped by Marsh, topedging a sweep off Andrew Salter.

Worrall moved to his half-century off 71 balls. The Australian had gone into the game with a highest first class score of 26 and bettered it in both innings.

Glamorgan took the second new ball with their opponents on 253 for seven, needing a further 37 to avoid an innings defeat. Worrall was bowled off an inside edge by Carey to make it 285 for eight.

Taylor got off the mark with a legside boundary off Carey and when Bracey took a single off Hogan the scores were level. It was hard going for the bowlers as the pitch had died and even the new ball barely through to the wicketkeeper.

Bracey remained commendably patient, showing immaculate defence as he moved to a hundred off 273 balls, with 14 fours.

Taylor was excellent in support and by tea the pair had added 60, with Gloucestershire 340 for eight and leading by 40 runs.

Their stand had reached 77 in the final session when Taylor, two short of his maiden half-century, edged a ball from off-spinner Andrew Salter and was caught behind.

Liam Norwell, carrying a hamstring injury, walked out with a runner, his side on 362 for eight and leading by 72.

He helped Bracey add ten more runs before being caught behind off a short Hogan delivery.

Glamorgan were left needing to score at around four an over, a task which proved well within their capabilities, even though Jack Murphy and Marsh were caught behind down the leg side, while Kiran Carlson and Selman skied catches to deep square. carried WORLD number 51 Jamie Jones stunned former champion Shaun Murphy with a 10-9 victory at the Crucible.

Welshman Jones dumped the 2005 winner out of the Betfred World Championship, holding his nerve to seal the deciding frame 72-1.

The 30-year-old turned the tide late on Monday afternoon with a superlative 124 break in the penultimate frame to take the match the distance.

And then the Neath native kept it together to ensure he despatched the current world number eight, booking a second-round clash with Kyren Wilson.

Jones rallied from 8-5 down to complete a remarkable comeback, adding another impressive scalp, having already beaten Liang Wenbo 10-0 in qualifying.

Mark Allen saw off Crucible debutant Liam Highfield 10-5 to move into the second round.

The Masters champion turned his 6-3 overnight lead into a relatively straightforward victory, even though Highfield produced a 99 break in Monday’s first frame.

Allen then rattled through the next three frames, including a seventh half-century break as he secured the win.

The 32-year-old will now meet Joe Perry in the second round, after the world number 22 pulled off a shock victory over defending champion Mark Selby.

“I didn’t score as heavily as I would have liked but I did enough to win,” Allen said. “It was a good match even though it was not the most free-flowing. Liam pushed me all the way and there were lots of close frames.”

Highfield admitted a missed brown in the second frame of the day on Monday proved the turning point in his defeat.

“The brown was really tough and, had that gone in, then maybe it would have been 6-5 and a different match,” he said.