Selman century stems Glamorgan struggle

Nick Selman became his county's first championship centurion of the season as Glamorgan's batsmen produced a spirited reply to Leicestershire's first innings score of 420 at the Fischer County Ground.

The 21-year-old, whose hard-working 117 was made from 170 deliveries, shared in partnerships of 83 for the first wicket with captain Jacques Rudolph, and 161 with Colin Ingram for the third, before the Foxes picked up two wickets in the final hour to ensure the day finished with honours roughly even.

The morning had seen Leicestershire's tail throw the bat to impressive effect after Glamorgan's seamers had made three early strikes. Resuming on 275-5, the Foxes had added only six runs when they lost overnight batsmen Lewis Hill and Mark Pettini, both caught by Aneurin Donald at fourth slip off the bowling of Lukas Carey and Marchant De Lange respectively.

When Carey then found the edge of Zak Chappell's bat, the catch again neatly taken by Donald in the slip cordon, it looked as though Leicestershire would fall well short of 350, but all-rounder Ben Raine took the attack back to the bowlers, hitting nine boundaries in racing to 45 before top-edging an attempted pull at De Lange to Chris Cooke behind the stumps. Raine was fortunate on 17, when he edged Carey straight to Nick Selman at second slip, only for the chance to go down.

Charlie Shreck rarely detains opposing bowlers for long, but the Leicestershire number 11 rode his luck and swiped four boundaries in an entertaining partnership of 61 in just eight overs with Clint McKay, who was 41 not out when Shreck was finally bowled by Ingram.

Given their previous struggles this season it would have been understandable if Glamorgan had been downhearted, but Rudolph, having survived a concerted appeal for a catch behind off his second ball, stroked 12 boundaries in racing to 50 at a run a ball. The South African had hit 58 of a stand of 83 for the first wicket when occasional off-spinner Harry Dearden bowled the left-hander with a delivery that turned past his outside edge.

Selman was initially less fluent, and was hit on the body on several occasions. He lost a second partner when David Lloyd went leg before to a Ben Raine delivery that seamed back in to the right-hander, but Ingram played solidly from the start.

A tired Selman was finally leg before pushing forward at Shreck delivery, but after Donald was bowled off the inside edge by Dexter, Chris Cooke joined Ingram in seeing the visitors through to the close without further loss.