Glamorgan build strong lead
Ben Wright led an impressive middle order batting display as Glamorgan put themselves in a healthy position at the end of the second day
11-May-2011
Ben Wright led an impressive middle order batting display as Glamorgan put themselves in a healthy position at the end of the second day of their County Championship Division Two clash against Kent at Cardiff.
Wright top-scored with 82, and with Will Bragg (73) and Mark Wallace (65 not out) contributing 73 and 65 not out respectively, it left Glamorgan on 366 for 7 at the close - a first-innings lead of 124.
Neil Saker was on form for the visitors, taking four wickets with England one-day player James Tredwell claiming two. Replying to Kent's opening-day total of 242 all out Glamorgan openers Gareth Rees and Alviro Petersen had looked relatively untroubled against the swing and seam of Darren Stevens and Saker.
But Saker, the former Surrey bowler who is on trial with Kent, struck twice in consecutive overs on his way to figures of four for 80 from 27 overs. Rees fell in the eighth over caught behind while Petersen edged Tredwell at first slip.
That left Glamorgan struggling on 38 for 2, which became 74 for 3 when Michael Powell was caught at first slip by Tredwell for an unconvincing 24. But either side of lunch Bragg and Wright built a useful Glamorgan platform with the duo both bringing up their half centuries in the same over.
Bragg's second 50 of the season came from 70 balls with five fours and Wright's third half century of the summer arrived from 79 balls with five fours. But the pair, who completed only Glamorgan's third 100 stand of the campaign, fell one run short of the county's highest partnership of the summer.
Their 137-run alliance was broken when Bragg was bowled attempting to cut off spinner Tredwell. And four overs later Wright danced down the wicket to Tredwell only to be stumped at least three yards out of his ground.
That left Glamorgan on 218 for 5 - 24 shy of Kent's first innings - but James Allenby took his side into the lead with a six over long-off from Tredwell. After tea Saker returned to dismiss Allenby and Graham Wagg in the space of three deliveries before Wallace and James Harris frustrated Kent for the rest of the evening session with some positive shot-making to bring up the third and fourth batting points.
Wallace brought up his third half-century of the season with a six over mid-wicket off Nel, as Glamorgan's first-innings lead went beyond 100.
