Not needed today

By Diamond Ruled OK
September 11 2011

Diamond is spared of hardly any rain and provides a report on procedings from day 4 at the SWALEC with no sheep references this time.  We do hear how we edge a bit closer to shh!

Morning Session.

With the overnight score on 169-4 it became clear from the start that “the Middle” were not going to hang around going for the bonus points in as few overs as possible. A visit from our Chairman was interesting with him fretting over scores from other games. Good job he did pop out as he swelled our supporter numbers to four, well three and a half really, Dingy bags, Myself and Welsh Dave (second team is Middlesex) being the other three. A very low attendance generally, no more than a hundred people in the ground which was a shame as this was Glamorgan’s last home game of a turbulent season, just a day/nighter in Kent left for them so for many it would have been their last days cricket for a while.

Buck soon gets his 100 off 121 balls with 12x 4’s, always seems he get runs when they are essential for the cause. A tea run fails to see us lose a wicket (for a change) and does give me the chance to check the England v Argentina RFU WC score, just as England score their try, nice timing, the “Yes” as it was scored was ok as there was no one else in the room. On return with the teas Simmo brought up his 50 off 80 balls with 6x4’s.

The score on 224 Buck lost his wicket in a rather unbucklike fashion, having picked up 4’s to all parts of the ground he tried to lift one over the keeper (it seemed) and only managed to feather it to Wallace, off the bowling of Owen, Wallace was the only man behind the wickets at the time. A stylish knock of 121 which was a pleasure to watch, 224/5.

Pushing on asap helped the Iceman little with the bat, his match performance having been with the ball in the Glamorgan first innings and he soon departed for 10 to the same Welsh combo as Buck did, 250/6.

Simmo seemed to decide that attack was the only policy clearing the very long extra cover boundary with ease then going the other way into the Swalec stand for another maximum. He had also planted one in the Taff stand as well and we were keeping our eye out in case it was our turn when he was bowled by Owen for 95 going for another big shot in the interest of the team and not personal glory, he could have propped and blocked for the runs he needed for a well deserved ton but thought nothing like it, a team man through and through.287/7. This soon became 295/8 when Crook fell to a good catch in front of the pavilion by Glover off guess who, yes that man Owen again for a 5 ball 3. Ollie was then joined By Murts and with the 300 mark passed the innings was declared on 302/8 in spitting rain which had been there or there about all morning.

Tiny bit of morning session and afternoon session.

Rees and James opened for Glamorgan, the unfortunate Petersen having gone down with food poisoning over night. The suns out for about the first time in four days and they see our hosts through to lunch at 6/0.

A very fine lunch taken in the local pub introduced Dingy bags to cwrw a local ale (not a miss spelling honest) , from what I gather it’s a straight forward translation and means “ale”, easy language Welsh is ….not. He like the rest of it’s samplers enjoyed it. Food and beer consumed it was time to head back for the afternoon session.

The openers were having little trouble so a tactical was taken and it worked, Iceman picking up his seventh wicket of the game removing Rees for 24 caught by Robson 47/1. He left the field later with an arm problem but was to resume bowling later in the innings so hopefully no injury problem there. Crook replaced him at the Cathederal Road end and second ball success removed Bragg for 4 with a good catch from AC in the gully, high over his head but very well taken.65/2

With 48 overs left in the day and the light getting worse again Ollie gets a go and soon has the opener James trapped LBW ( a rare beast given the officials stance on LB’ing anyone) for 49 off 103 balls 87/3.Allenby decided to have a bit of fun hitting Ollie for a 4 and a 6 off successive balls, next ball Ollie got his payback with Murts giving Simmo yet another bit of catching practice, how many times has that been the case this season  caught Simpson bowled Murtagh?108/4.Tea taken at 109/4.

Walters and Wallace stuck it out with Wallace during his innings breaking a Glamorgan record for most runs by a wicket keeper in a season since 1923 I think the announcer said (their pa is as bad as ours!).

Walters39 not out and Wallace (the newly announced Glamorgan captain for next season) 40 not out when at ten to five it was handshakes all round and onward to Leicester straight away for our lads. Colly had come off before the close of play with sore knees, hardly surprising the overs the guy has put in at nothing less than full pace this year so far, I hope it was precautionary for the Leicester game rather than an injury.

Car for Dingy bags and bus for Welsh Dave and myself to reflect on what had been a very good game played over the two days possible. On the way under the Severn this morning I flicked the switch on the rain so the Welsh can look forward to an Indian summer. A super trip in really good company, thanks to one and all involved, players, supporters, bar staff, chefs, bus drivers, train drivers and everyone else involved.

Onward to Leicester to finish the job off and make the “P” word mentionable without it costing us money.