GLAM WRAP UP FIRST COUNTY WIN THIS TERM
TIMM van der Gugten cemented his place as the season’s leading bowler in the LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two with his third five wicket hall of the campaign as Glamorgan wrapped up victory against Worcestershire on the third day in Cardiff.
Glamorgan won by 10 wickets after they finished off the Worcestershire second innings inside the first hour of day three.
Set a target of just 79 to win, Glamorgan were seen home by Eddie Byrom, who top scored with 51, and David Lloyd.
After the Worcestershire top order had failed for the second time in the match it was left to the tail to set a challenging target, but only 32 runs were added on the third morning before they were bowled out for 227.
This win gives Glamorgan their first victory of the season and 20 points to keep them in the hunt for a promotion spot.
Worcestershire have now lost two and drawn two since their opening round victory against Derbyshire.
No runs had been added to the overnight score when Glamorgan got their first breakthrough when Matthew Waite was bowled off an inside by Jamie McIlroy.
Waite is Worcestershire’s leading run scorer this season and his innings of 45 was the highest score by his team in this match.
His wicket left Worcestershire eight wickets down and only 45 runs in front.
Van der Gugten completed his fivewicket haul when he had Josh Tongue caught at point by Eddie Byrom.
Joe Leach scored 24, an innings that included the only six of the match, before he was bowled by a ball that kept low from James Harris.
As the last wicket fell Worcestershire were 78 runs in front.
The pitch started slow and without much bounce and these features only became more pronounced as the match wore on.
Despite this, the Worcestershire bowlers did not have enough runs to defend.
David Lloyd and Eddie Byrom took
Glamorgan to 34 without loss at lunch, meaning they needed anther 45 runs to win after the interval.
The two carried on as they had started after the break as they saw their side home with an unbroken stand of 82 to claim a 10 wicket win.
Glamorgan head coach Matthew Maynard was delighted with the win but admitted he didn’t have any inside knowledge as to whether seamer Michael Neser will join Marnus Labuschagne in the Australian Ashes squad.
“I don’t read any newspapers in Australia but if Neser is [called up by Australia] I would wish him all the very best,” said Maynard.
“He has been an absolutely brilliant professional for Glamorgan cricket. If that is the way to go and we lose him we wish him all the best.
“We hope Marnus gets hundreds, Neser gets five fors but also want an England win 5-0.
“We were thinking initially it was going to be later in the year that we might lose Neser, so we had a couple of contingencies there.
“That has potentially come forward so just at the moment looking into that. I know that we will enjoy today, have a nice day off tomorrow and then Mark Wallace and I will be on to that first thing next week.
“I think from a bowling group they carried on from their great work up at Yorkshire and all four seamers contributed terrifically in the game and that was great to see.
“For someone like Jamie McIlroy to finally get some reward for the hard work he has done.
“A shout out for Neser’s batting as well as that innings allowed us to get that batting point and stretch a lead that could potentially have been 50 to 150 so that was a fantastic effort from him and the lower order.
“I know there are some very tired bodies. Timm has played every game so far this year so we will just have to see how he shapes up, he has led the attack fantastically since Michael Hogan’s departure, he has done exceptionally well, he is a big player for us at the moment so hopefully we can get him right and fit enough for the Sussex game.”