Glam call up Root after weekend ton

BILLY Root is included in Glamorgan’s squad for the first time when they entertain Leicestershire in the LV= County Championship at Sophia Gardens, starting today.

Root made a fine century for Ammanford in the South Wales Premier Cricket League on Saturday to earn his place, while medium-pacer bowler and lower-order batsman Andy Gorvin is also called up.

Gorvin, who plays for St Fagans in the Premier League, could make his first-class debut for the county after impressing in the 2nd XI fixture against Lancashire with unbeaten half-centuries in both innings.

Slow-left arm spinner Prem Sisodiya drops out of the squad, while Dutch seamer Timm van der Gugten misses out after suffering a hamstring injury.

After the exciting draw against Derbyshire which went down to the last over of the game with all four results still possible, Glamorgan coach Matt Maynard is looking for another solid display in Cardiff.

“There are things to improve on as a unit,” he said. “As a bowling unit we need to work in pairs a little bit more. But we can’t fault the effort that everyone has put in, but sometimes we get a bit emotional and look for wickets too much.

“We just need to stay in there, in the game, and keep the ball just over the top of off stump and that kind of area. I think the way that Michael Hogan has led the attack for a good number of years epitomises that. We also have the class of (Michael) Neser to look at as well.

“In regard to Leicestershire, we can’t look too far ahead, and we have to take it day by day and session by session and break it down that way.

“You can get complacent, or not show them the respect they deserve, because they have some fine players in their side.

“If we don’t show them the respect they deserve it could spell trouble, so we have practised hard yesterday and today to get ready for the challenge.”

Sophia Gardens has not been a happy hunting ground in recent times for Leicestershire, with Glamorgan recording emphatic victories in the East Midlanders’ last two visits to Cardiff.

Glamorgan: D Lloyd (capt), K Carlson, C Cooke (wkt), T Cullen, A Gorvin, M Labuschagne, M Hogan, J Harris, M Neser, S Northeast, B Root, A Salter, J Weighell.