Kasper takes 9 again as Glamorgan record their biggest ever win
Michael Kasprowicz bowled Glamorgan to their largest ever win in first-class cricket with yet another remarkable bowling performance after lunch against Durham
Andrew Hignell
19-Sep-2003
Michael Kasprowicz bowled Glamorgan to their largest ever win in first-class cricket
with yet another remarkable bowling performance after lunch against Durham.
When the two counties met in mid-August at Cardiff `Kasper` took 9/36. Today at Chester-le-Street he
took 9/45 as Glamorgan won an astonshiing game by 369 runs, as Durham were bowled out for just 118 in the space
of 24.5 overs.
Kasprowicz`s return of 9/45 was the fourth best in the club`s history and he finished the game
with a match haul of 13/110. Last year at the ground he took 11/105 in Glamorgan`s comprehensive
ten wicket victory. Today his amazing spell came in consecutive overs after lunch as the home side
attempted to chase 488 to win. The mighty Queenslander settled the issue in the space of just 12.5
overs as the Durham resistance completely disintegrated, with Kasprowicz taking the last 8 wickets to fall.
Kasprowicz finishes a fine season with a haul of 77 wickets - the most ever by an overseas
player for the Welsh county, beating Waqar Younis` 68 victims in 1997.
As the table shows
below, `Kasper` now has the second and fourth best bowling figures in first-class cricket for
Glamorgan, and before today only Johnnie Clay, in 1937, had taken 9 wickets in an
innings twice in a season, with 9-59 against Essex at Westcliff-on-Sea and 9-66 against
Worcestershire at Swansea, 1937
10-51 J.Mercer v Worcestershire at Worcester, 1936 9-36 M.S.Kasprowicz v Durham at Sophia Gardens, 2003 9-43 J.S.Pressdee v Yorkshire at Swansea, 1965 9-45 M.S.Kasprowicz v Durham at Chester-le-Street, 2003 9-47 D.J.Shepherd v Northamptonshire at Cardiff Arms Park, 1954 9-48 D.J.Shepherd v Yorkshire at Swansea, 1965 9-49 A.E.Cordle v Leicestershire at Colwyn Bay, 1969
Glamorgan`s margin of victory, by 369 runs, was also their largest in all first-class cricket and in the County Championship, eclipsing the previous best of 332 runs against the 1937 New Zealanders at Swansea, and the 298 run victory over Somerset at Sophia Gardens in 1998.
Earlier in the morning session, Mike Powell recorded a Championship best 198 as Glamorgan made 464-8 before
declaring at lunch. Powell`s innings came from 204 balls and included 36 fours, and it was the highest
ever by a Glamorgan batsman against Durham. Michael Kasprowicz also created a bit of mayhem with bat,
adding an unbeaten 93 for the 9th wicket with Darren Thomas, with their merry spree occupying just
three-quarters of an hour before the declaration. Thomas hit 69 from 62 balls with 9 fours and 2 sixes,
whilst Kasprowicz hit 34 from 31 balls with a pair of fours and a pair of sixes.