By Edward Hall
June 26 2002

Middlesex closed the first day of the latest Championship game in full control on 408 for 4 against Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens. In glorious sunshine, the toss was always going to dominate the proceedings, and it went the way of Middlesex captain Andrew Strauss, who then set about dismantling the Glamorgan attack. Glamorgan wisely changed their game plan that they have used for the past few Championship games, by including a fifth bowler in the form of Dean Cosker.

Croft and Cosker, who bowled 48 of the day’s overs, both picked up a wicket before lunch, and with Middlesex 104 for 2, with the dangerous Sven Koenig back in the pavilion, Glamorgan were by no means out of it, but a productive Middlesex afternoon, for the loss of just two further wickets, means that Glamorgan’s top order will have to produce some gritty batting to get out of this game with a draw.

Simon Jones and Mark Wallace should know Andrew Strauss fairly well, having spent the last winter with him at the ECB Academy, but Jones nor any of the other Glamorgan bowlers could not find a way to dislodge him before he had scored 141 valuable runs and put him team in the boxseat. A decent innings from Shah (62) and a handsome one from Abdur Razzaq, unbeaten overnight 12 short of his hundred, compounded the problem for Glamorgan. Razzaq had put on 147 runs with the talented Ed Joyce by stumps.