Allenby and Owen seal Glamorgan win
Jim Allenby and Will Owen took three wickets apiece as Glamorgan collected their fourth County Championship victory of the season with a 108-run triumph over Leicestershire at Colwyn Bay
20-Aug-2011
Jim Allenby and Will Owen took three wickets apiece as Glamorgan collected their fourth County Championship victory of the season with a 108-run triumph over Leicestershire at Colwyn Bay.
The visitors had been set 300 to win in 75 overs but they lost wickets at regular intervals - their last four for just 11 runs. They were bowled out for 191 at 5.10pm with 13.5 overs remaining, with Allenby claiming three for 39 and Owen three for 61.
It was Glamorgan's third consecutive victory on the north Wales coast. The home team, who were also indebted to a maiden century from Will Bragg, took 22 points from the contest to Leicestershire's six. Requiring four runs an over in their pursuit, Leicestershire lost Will Jefferson in the sixth over when he was well caught by Alviro Petersen over his head running back at mid-off off Owen. That left the visitors 21 for one.
Glamorgan's chance of winning the game had suffered a setback after lunch with James Harris, the England Lions seamer, only able to bowl five overs because of a side injury. Leicestershire had moved onto 55 for 1 when Robert Croft bowled left-hander Matthew Boyce, who was attempting to force shot down the leg-side.
James Taylor, who has been included in England's 13-man squad for Thursday's one-day international against Ireland, got off the mark with a six as he lofted Croft over long-on. But Dean Cosker bowled Greg Smith (43) to leave Leicestershire 91 for 3.
Josh Cobb played some attacking shots but, with the total on 143 in the 39th over, the game moved Glamorgan's way. Cobb went leg before to Cosker and two balls later Owen grabbed the crucial wicket of Taylor who also departed lbw for 17. Leicestershire slipped further towards defeat when Wayne White became the third lbw victim of the innings, trapped in front by Allenby for 14.
And 172 for 6 became 180 for 7 when Paul Dixey was caught behind by Mark Wallace off the bowling of Croft for 15. The visitors were still requiring 109 to win but that proved irrelevant as the last three wickets fell quickly.
Allenby bowled Claude Henderson (nought) before Owen also bowled Jigar Naik (19), and Glamorgan's win was assured when Allenby trapped Nathan Buck lbw before he could trouble the scorers. At the start of the final morning Glamorgan resumed their second innings on 146 for four - an overall lead of 229.
Bragg began the day needing 33 to reach his maiden century and batted positively as Glamorgan built towards a declaration. Glamorgan did suffer the odd setback on the way with Allenby (one) and Wallace (15) both caught by Jefferson at slip off Henderson and Naik, respectively.
But in the next over Bragg past three figures, striking his 14th boundary. His century came up off 162 balls before he was out lbw to Naik. Glamorgan added another nine runs before declaring just before noon.
