Bracey has fun in sun against Glam

JAMES Bracey, the highly-rated 22-year-old Gloucestershire lefthander, again showed his fondness for Glamorgan’s bowlers, by scoring his fourth first-class hundred, and his third against the Welsh county.

Bracey was given valuable support by Gareth Roderick, who made 88, the two adding 199 for the fourth wicket, while Bracey fell three runs short of surpassing his career-best, made against the same opposition at Sophia Gardens two years ago.

At the end of the first day’s play at Spytty Park, the latest Welsh ground to host Championship cricket, the visitors had reached 360 for six, a useful score on a pitch that is expected to turn later in the game.

Bracey rescued his team after the Glamorgan bowlers had made early in-roads into the opposition’s top-order. Marchant de Lange dismissed Miles Hammond with the third ball of the morning, and although Chris Dent and Bracey added 50 for the second wicket, both Dent and George Hankins were out in quick succession.

Dent went leg-before to Graham Wagg, while Hawkins was bowled by David Lloyd – who was capped by Glamorgan in the lunch interval – offering no shot to one that nipped back.

Glamorgan gained their first bowling point in the 17th over, but then had to wait another 52.1 overs before the next wicket fell. Roderick had proved an able ally to Bracey before being trapped by the persevering Timm van der Gugten.

Bracey continued to dominate on a pitch that offered little to the bowlers after the morning session, with Glamorgan’s hopes resting on the new ball, which was taken in the 82nd over.

De Lange obliged by bowling Benny Howell two overs later for 35, and he put on 55 with Bracey for the fifth wicket.

Meanwhile, the young lefthander reached 150 in the same over, with 18 fours, but four runs later, his five-hour 50 vigil ended when he drove De Lange to gully.

Ryan Higgins and Graeme van Buuren avoided any further alarms, with Gloucestershire pleased to have recovered so well from the loss of early wickets in the morning session. Higgins is 25 not out and Van Buuren 21.

Glamorgan’s Lloyd said: “It was a tough day, but we stuck at it well, and bowled really well in patches. Now we need to get those four wickets in the morning, get our batters to the crease.

“To be capped was an honour, and a special moment for me”.