CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

Day1: Weekes sees patience pay

David green

First day of four: Middlesex 338-7 v Glamorgan

Middlesex, having chosen first use of a dry, easy-paced pitch likely to take spin later in the match, batted throughout the day at Sophia Gardens to establish a solid position.

Mike Roseberry anchored for 4.25 hours without ever looking in command, then Paul Weekes played a valuable, if Jekyll-and-Hyde innings, brisk to 50, then stagnant, then bristling again.

Not for the first time this season Darren Thomas was the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers, taking the wickets of Mark Ramprakash, surprised by bounce, and Owais Shah, caught at slip, in a hostile pre-lunch burst.

Glamorgan's young slow left-armer Dean Cosker gave the ball more air than his off-spinning partner Robert Croft, but tended to angle his attack too much towards leg stump. This suited Roseberry's on-side bias, but only Simon Cook, who hit two sixes and four fours, gave Cosker any serious punishment.

Weekes, who took 20 overs to move from 50 to 60, waited patiently for his touch to return, and had put on 73 with Angus Fraser by close of play, runs that could prove to be crucial by tomorrow.

Day 2: Bloomfield revels in Glamorgan flop

David Green

Glamorgan (108 & 84-2) trail Middx (462-9 dec) by

Having added 124 runs in the morning to their overnight 338 for seven before declaring, Middlesex shot out Glamorgan inside a session on a placid pitch, Tim Bloomfield taking a career-best five for 36.

Following on a massive 354 runs adrift, Glamorgan lost Steve James early and Alun Evans, neatly stumped, near the close. They face heavy defeat today but can salvage some pride by batting with greater determination.

There was no real explanation for Glamorgan's collapse, other than poor batting. Bloomfield pitched the ball up at a sharp pace and Angus Fraser backed him up solidly, but too many batsmen surrendered having made poor strokes.

Adrian Dale and Keith Newell both fenced at wide ish balls after Evans had fallen to one that kept low. Then Michael Powell and Darren Thomas were bowled shuffling across the crease rather than playing forward.

Top-scorer James, who had been looking as if he could have played the bowling with a tram ticket, eventually flashed fatally at another wide one after which a last-wicket stand of 24 only delayed the inevitable.

This performance contrasted starkly with the batting of Middlesex which had been disciplined and patient, no one more so than Paul Weekes whose unbeaten 140 occupied 11 minutes under six hours and included a six and 19 fours.

Weekes received spirited support from Fraser, who made 56 before retiring hurt.

Day 3: Powell fight in vain

David Green

Middx (462-9 dec) bt Glamorgan (108 & 241) by an innings and 113 runs

Glamorgan batsmen, Michael Powell apart, offered little more resistance to Middlesex than they had in their first innings and despite the blameless nature of the Sophia Gardens pitch went down to heavy defeat shortly after lunch yesterday.

Only Powell, who batted solidly for three hours 20 minutes and hit 11 fours, showed the application needed to expunge the memory of Glamorgan's surrender for 108 inside a session on Thursday.

Powell's concentration and stroke selection were admirable, while his foot movement was positive throughout. Too many of his colleagues found that even on a benign surface poor footwork can often prove fatal.

When Glamorgan resumed at 84 for two, needing 270 more to make Middlesex bat again, the last thing they needed was to lose an early wicket, but in the first over Adrian Dale pushed flat-footed at Angus Fraser and thin-edged.

Robert Croft, bat aloft, was run out after Powell had cut Phil Tufnell almost to the long third man boundary, before Adrian Shaw had his off stump knocked out of the ground by Fraser.

Keith Newell helped Powell add 72, but after he was caught and bowled off a leading edge the innings melted away leaving Powell unbeaten on 83.