Kiran Carlson, Billy Root hundreds drive Glamorgan into ascendancy

Glamorgan continued to dominate their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Gloucestershire, finishing the day on 388 for eight to give them a commanding lead of 223.

The innings was built around hundreds from Kiran Carlson and Billy Root as the Glamorgan middle order took the game away from the visitors.

A well made 81 for Eddie Byrom set the foundation for what came after as Glamorgan's batting line-up made a very decent start to the season on a pitch where you had to fight to get yourself set.

The standout performer for Gloucestershire was Marchant de Lange who claimed figures of three for 72 on his return to his old club.

The day started with nightwatchman Timm van der Gugten still at the crease and he didn't last long, spooning a catch to Graeme van Buuren off the bowling of left arm spinner Zafar Gohar who had been given the new ball from the Cathedral Road end.

When David Lloyd was bowled by Tom Price and de Lange cleaned up Sam Northeast, Glamorgan were 35 for three and Gloucestershire looked to be clawing their way back into the match. Carlson and Byrom had other ideas, as they shared a stand of 160 that took Glamorgan into the lead.

Byrom was watchful at first before looking to attack once well set, but Carlson was a bundle of energy from the moment he reached the crease, his first scoring shots were back-to-back boundaries off Ajeet Singh Dale.

Carlson had some luck on 39, Zafar putting down a very difficult chance that was high and spiralling while running away from the ball. Carlson was also dropped on 77 when Ollie Price didn't hold on to a much easier chance at slip. It was a catch that Ollie Price did take that broke the stand between Byrom and Carlson. Byrom had a dash at a ball outside off stump from de Lange and Price took a great grab at a very short gully.

The departure of Byrom didn't slow Carlson down, he reached his first hundred since July 2021 from 128 balls. A return to form for Carlson will be very welcome for Glamorgan after the 24-year-old had a disappointing season in 2022.

Carlson's wicket came when he was trapped lbw by Ollie Price to leave Glamorgan 253 for five, pushing towards a three-figure lead.

With Colin Ingram dropping down the order due to a neck spasm there was pressure on Root and Chris Cooke to make the most of the strong foundation that had been laid for them, and their stand of 69 took Glamorgan past 300 to claim their second batting point.

With Cooke gone it was left to Root to steady the batting efforts, and other than when he was also the beneficiary of some good fortune when another dropped chance in the slips from Price on 76 his innings was without real drama and contained some very classy shots.

Ingram came into bat at nine but didn't see out the day, edging a ball from de Lange with Ollie Price this time hanging on to a very good catch.

Root reached his hundred just before the end of play as he finished the day undefeated on 104, reaching his century with a cover drive for four as Glamorgan claimed complete control of this match.