Maynard’s praise as Glam break records
MATTHEW Maynard saluted the grit in his Glamorgan side after they went into the record books on Sunday.
Glamorgan piled up a massive total of 737 – the highest second-innings score made in England, and the second-highest total ever made by the Welsh side – to save their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Sussex.
It came after they were bowled out for just 123 in their first innings.
Glamorgan turned a first-innings deficit of 358 into a lead of 379 against a weakened Sussex side with Australia’s Michael Neser becoming the third century-maker of the innings, following Marnus Labuschagne and Kiran Carlson.
They remain unbeaten after six matches, a sequence which features one win and five draws.
Glamorgan head coach Maynard said: “We had to get to a stage where there was about 40 or 45 overs to go to get the game safe, because we knew on a short chase they might be able to go at seven an over.
“They have a very strong batting line-up, with some very talented youngsters and some decent overseas players too. So I’m delighted that we managed to show some grit and fight in that lower order, which was magnificent.
“Had the partnership between Marnus and Kiran gone on for longer we could have played a bit more freely, which might have allowed us to do it (declare). But we were never safe until quite late in the day.
“The wicket remained good. It was always going to be difficult to bowl them out. But I was very proud of the rearguard action and breaking the record.
“It would be nice to have two wins rather that one after six. That would have been more deserving.
“I think wickets will become result wickets at the end of the season. I can see it going back to games being over in two or three days, which we’ve seen too much of in the past 10 years.”
Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace believes his side missed an opportunity to leave Glamorgan reeling.
He said: “I think Glamorgan played really well here. Labuschagne played outstandingly well. Carlson did as well.
“But we dropped Carlson on three. Had we taken that opportunity we would have been in a good position. It could have been a very different game.
“Fair play to them, they’ve got some very good players. I don’t think it was a 123 all out pitch. But we bowled and caught really well in that first spell and then they batted very well in their second innings, so good luck to them.
“We are getting our bonus points for bowling a team out once, but we’re not capable of doing it twice, and that’s an area we’ve got to improve on.
“We weren’t able to contain the boundaries. We didn’t get enough balls in the right area.
“I don’t think the pitch is as flat as some people say. We just didn’t get the ball in the right place.”
Glamorgan now turn their attention to the Vitality Blast and a visit to Gloucestershire on Friday evening (6.30pm).