Patel sends Glam spinning to defeat
GLAMORGAN slumped to another County Championship defeat at Colwyn Bay yesterday as Warwickshire gained a resounding win with a day and 12 overs to spare.
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, they would be clear favourites to return to Division One.
Their captain Jeetan Patel led by example, ending with seven for 83, which included his 800th first-class wicket.
Patel mesmerised the Glamorgan batsmen as he exploited the rough created by Keith Barker bowling his leftarm 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 batpad 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 Cook 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, facing 110 balls before he was out for 14.
Kiran Carlson and David Lloyd put on 56 for the fourth wicket, but the highest partnership came from the lastwicket pair of Rory Smith and Michael 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.