Cardiff clash ends in stalemate

Chris Taylor was out in the 90s as Gloucs scored five bonus points © Getty Images

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Glamorgan’s rain-ruined LV County Championship match against Gloucestershire at Cardiff ended in a tame draw after the captains failed to agree to a contrived finish.

The small crowd hoping for an exciting finish between the bottom clubs in Division Two were left disappointed, with the fourth day just played out turgidly for batting and bowling points.

It was understood that Glamorgan offered to chase around 350 in 70 or 80 overs but Gloucestershire captain Jon Lewis believed he did not have enough time to bowl the opposition out on a placid wicket.

In the end Gloucestershire declared their first innings on 400 for seven, having achieved maximum batting points, before Glamorgan responded with 107 for two before the players shook hands at 4.50pm.

David Hemp finished on 53 not out, with Michael Powell unbeaten on 34.

Glamorgan took six points from the contest to Gloucestershire’s nine.

After 207 overs were lost on the first three days to rain, Gloucestershire had resumed their first innings on the final morning on 223 for two.

Hamish Marshall added only two to his overnight total of 51 before being out in the third over of the day to the second new ball. He was trapped leg before by Adam Shantry.

Marcus North became the fourth Gloucestershire batsman to pass 50. He was out for 52 from 87 balls, holing out to Robert Croft on the long-on boundary.

Croft changed ends and immediately had David Brown taken at mid-on before Stephen Snell was well caught at deep backward square by David Harrison attempting a sweep off Dean Cosker.

Chris Taylor became the fifth visiting batsman to go past 50, but like Kadeer Ali on Thursday he was dismissed in the nineties, caught at deep midwicket by Dean Cosker in Jamie Dalrymple’s second over.

In their reply, Glamorgan lost both openers early as they were reduced to 30 for two.

Richard Grant went for a duck, lbw to Oliver Newby in the second over, and he was followed back to the pavilion by Gareth Rees who got a thin edge behind in Vikram Banerjee’s opening over.

But the threat of further breakthroughs was averted by Hemp, who struck an 86-ball half-century, and Powell who shared in an unbroken stand of 88 for the third wicket.