Marnus is back as Glamorgan eye a place in the top two
AUSTRALIAN Test star Marnus Labuschagne is back with Glamorgan and is included in the squad for the Vitality County Championship Division Two clash with Middlesex starting at Sophia Gardens this morning.
Head Coach Grant Bradburn has named a 13-man squad as Glamorgan, after defeating table-topping Sussex in their previous game, now face Middlesex, who are second in the points table.
They are just one point ahead of Glamorgan so a win in this game would put the Welsh county in the top two.
The game against Sussex was a complete all-round performance.
Batters Kiran Carlson and Colin Ingram had outstanding outings, establishing a record-breaking 5th wicket partnership for Glamorgan with impressive knocks of 148 and 170 respectively.
From a bowling perspective, Mir Hamza picked up seven wickets in the game, and Andy Gorvin registered a match-winning five-wicket haul, the first in his first-class career.
The fielding was also outstanding.
Colin Ingram (637) surpassed team-mate Sam Northeast (568), to become the leading run-scorer across the Vitality County Championship this season and is on track to reach 1,000 runs before the end of May.
Mir Hamza is rested for this game and will be replaced by another overseas player in Labuschagne who has returned to Cardiff this week.
Seamers Timm Van der Gugten and Harry Podmore are back in action for the 2nd XI after recovering from injuries.
“The squad have taken a huge amount of confidence away from last week’s victory over Sussex and there’s a nice positive vibe in the camp.,” said Bradburn.
“I’m very proud of the way the team have grown from each match so far this season.
“While we have stuck to positive process, an outright victory eluded us in the first four rounds, so I’m pleased for the squad and the club as a whole, who have deserved success from the efforts going in.
“While Mir Hamza takes a wellearned rest for this game, it’s nice to welcome Marnus back to Glamorgan this week and I’m sure his infectious energy and skills will add huge value to our group.”
The two teams were involved in a high-scoring draw in the opening match of the Vitality County Championship season in early April at Lord’s, with Sam Northeast making a record-breaking 335* and Colin Ingram 132* before Glamorgan declared on 620-3. Middlesex responded with 655 with Ryan Higgins posting 221.
Middlesex were the victors the last time the two teams met at Cardiff with the visitors winning by an innings and 82 runs in April 2022 thanks to eight wickets from Toby Roland-jones and an unbeaten 104 by John Simpson, who is now the captain of Sussex.
It is thirty-three years since Glamorgan last recorded a Championship victory at their Cardiff base against Middlesex, with the victory in June 1991 coming during a rain-affected contest as fourwicket hauls by off-cutter Steve Barwick and seamer Mark Frost saw Glamorgan to a 129-run victory.
GLAMORGAN SQUAD: Sam Northeast (C), Kiran Carlson (VC), Tom Bevan, Eddie Byrom, Chris Cooke (WK), Mason Crane, Andy Gorvin, James Harris, Colin Ingram, Marnus Labuschagne, Jamie Mcilroy, Billy Root, Zain ul Hassan