Bowlers Blow Glamorgan Away on Day One

Match report from day one of Hampshire's LV= County Championship match against Glamorgan at the SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff.

Glamorgan v Hampshire
LV= County Championship
DAY One: Thursday 19 April 2012
SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff

Summary: Hampshire trail Glamorgan by 74 runs
with nine wickets remaining in the first innings
Glamorgan: 103-9d (42 ovs)
Hampshire: 29-1 (12 ovs)
Scorecard

Glamorgan:
Rees, Walters, Bragg, James, Wright, Henriques, Allenby, Wallace⁺*, Wagg, Cosker, Waters
Hampshire:
Adams*, Dawson, Carberry, Katich, Vince, Ervine, Bates⁺, Wood, Riazuddin, Briggs, Balcombe

Before the season started Hampshire bowler David Balcombe (5-33) was identified by Sky Sports News as one of six “Ones to Watch” this season. And how right they were!

Another five wickets on a rain-affected day one of this LV= County Championship match against Glamorgan at the SWALEC Stadium have seen him race to the top of the country’s wicket-taking charts (with 16) and, more importantly, have given Hampshire the early advantage in this fixture. He's now taken 49 wickets in his last seven Championship games!

Only Glamorgan’s William Bragg (45) could put up any meaningful resistance as his side were reduced to 103-9 before a surprising declaration was called.

Hampshire will resume day two on 29-1 – 74 runs behind in the first innings, after batting out the final half an hour of the day.

It was a day of two rampant sessions from the visiting attack sandwiching a largely washed-out afternoon.

The hosts, having struggled to make it much past a team total of 100 in three out of four innings so far this season, understandably started timidly, taking 17 balls to even get off the mark thanks to some aggressive opening bowling from Balcombe and Chris Wood (2-25).

And with the ball moving around a lot, it wasn’t long before Balcombe had snared his first victim, having Stewart Walters (4) caught by Liam Dawson at second slip – the first of two excellent catches in that position from the all-rounder.

Shortly after, Wood [pictured below] got in on the act, seeing off fellow opener Gareth Rees, lbw for 12. That opened the floodgates and wickets for Hamza Riazuddin (1-20), Danny Briggs (1-8) and a second for Balcombe followed, leaving Glamorgan 68-5 at lunch.

Such a session only served to re-enforce the opinion, already held by many around the ground, that it had been an odd decision from home captain, Mark Wallace to elect to bat, having won the toss. Surely, with all that has been written regarding early season seamers’ wickets, it would have made more sense to bowl first?

That, of course, was none of Hampshire’s concern and Jimmy Adams’ side would have been frustrated to have lost all bar a smattering of overs in the afternoon to intermittent rain.

It never rains but it pours, so the phrase goes, and things went from bad to worse for the hosts when the only incident of mention during this period was a painful-looking blow to overseas signing Moises Henriques, who received a painful blow on the finger from a Wood bouncer.

And when play did finally re-start in earnest at 4:20, Henriques (8) and Bragg were still looking spooked as both fell in quick succession. In fact, Hampshire took four wickets for just eight runs in a blistering 20 minute start to the evening session. And they would have fancied their chances of picking off a final victim when the rain once again intervened just before 5:00.

Of course, they didn't need to as home skipper Wallace made a second incredible decision during the time the teams were off, declaring on 103-9.

The call was presumably designed to make the most of bowling conditions but luck once again deserted the Welsh side as Hampshire batted in bright sunshine in the early evening.

And despite the loss of Adams (3), Hampshire will be hoping to capitalise on a good start tomorrow. They resume with Dawson (18*) and Michael Carberry (6*) at the crease.

Words: Simon Vincent
Images: NJM Photographs (Main news image)
LMI Photography (Top right, middle left)

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