Cosgrove ton edges Glamorgan ahead

Leicestershire 247 and 41 for 2 v Glamorgan 290
Scorecard

Mark Cosgrove scored his third century of the season to put Glamorgan in a useful position going into the final day of their County Championship match against Leicestershire at Swansea.

The Australian left hander scored 117 out of Glamorgan's 290 all out to give the Welsh county a 43-run first-innings lead, despite Leicestershire slow left armer Claude Henderson recording figures of 5 for 72.

In their second innings Leicestershire reached 41 for 2 by the close, still two runs behind.

On the third morning Glamorgan had resumed their first innings on 45 without loss in reply to Leicestershire's 247 in positive fashion with Cosgrove scoring 88 of the 125 runs scored in the morning session.

Much had depended on Matthew Hoggard if Leicestershire were to make early inroads but he was dispatched for two boundaries by Cosgrove through backward point on his way to a 52-ball half-century.

But with Glamorgan 74 for nought Cosgrove lost Gareth Rees (15), who edged Nadeem Malik to Matthew Boyce at first slip. There were another two setbacks for the Welsh county when Tom Maynard (19) was bowled by Jigar Naik attempting a cut and Ben Wright was leg before to Henderson as the home side were reduced to 153 for 3.

But in between those dismissals Cosgrove went to his third century of the season from 111 balls with 15 fours. After three hours Cosgrove's innings came to an end when he was stumped by Tom New off Henderson.

Jamie Dalrymple and Jim Allenby put on a useful 54 in 17 overs in difficult conditions, and despite the ball starting to turn appreciably Dalrymple struck consecutive Henderson deliveries for four and six.

But Glamorgan then proceeded to lose their last six wickets for only 60 runs. Dalrymple was the first to go as he was caught at short leg by James Taylor off Naik just two runs short of his 50.

And one run short of their second batting point they then lost Mark Wallace to a brilliant catch by Taylor at short leg, before Paul Nixon produced an equally good catch, diving at short extra cover to remove Allenby.

Robert Croft, who had reached 1,000 first-class wickets for Glamorgan on the second day, took the new ball at the start of Leicestershire's second innings. But it was James Harris who got the breakthrough at the other end having Boyce caught at second slip by Dalrymple to leave Leicestershire 1 for 1.

That became 36 for 2 nine overs before the close when Will Jefferson was trapped leg before by Dean Cosker.