RESULT
37th Match, Cardiff, July 22 - 25, 2025, County Championship Division Two
155 & 360
(T:189) 327 & 189/5

Glamorgan won by 5 wickets

Report

Kent cobble together defendable total as Glamorgan face tense final-day chase

Two early wickets give visitors hope of turning the tables after being second-best for most of contest

Harry Finch clips the ball leg side, Sussex v Essex, Bob Willis Trophy, Hove, August 17, 2020

Harry Finch clips the ball leg side  •  Getty Images

Glamorgan 327 (Kellaway 90, Ingram 87, Agar 4-58, Parkinson 4-103) and 25 for 2 need another 163 runs to beat Kent 155 (Bell-Drummond 55, van der Gugten 3-27, Harris 3-35) and 360 (Finch 68, Stewart 63, Evison 49, Compton 48, Benjamin 46)
A series of starts took Kent to a respectable second innings to add pressure onto Glamorgan's day-four chase.
Harry Finch's 68 and Grant Stewart's counter-attacking 63 dragged Kent back into the contest after a first innings collapse hindered their chances against Glamorgan. Partnerships of 84 and 68 for the fifth and sixth wicket, respectively took the visitors to 360 - without full use of injured Joe Denly to enforce a nervous task of chasing 189 after first innings dominance from the hosts.
Kent bowlers were in high spirits, taking two wickets in an aggressive spell of 14 overs continuing their day in the driving seat to leave the Welsh county 25 for 2, requiring 164 from the final day. Chris Cooke and Timm van der Gugten's batting capabilities remain uncertain after both being off the field for the entire day.
From 106 for 1 overnight and beginning a fightback to the Glamorgan first-innings dominance, Ben Compton and Chris Benjamin started conservatively in the knowledge that they'd need to bat all day to produce a competitive day four.
Trying to be cute with a paddle-sweep by way of releasing the shackles from 10 off 43 inside the first hour, Compton fell, gifting a wicket to Glamorgan. Compton fell short of a half-century (and his 1000-run season milestone), a moment which foreshadowed the remainder of the top order.
Daniel Bell-Drummond found a start, before being given out caught-behind attempting to hook a bouncer that ballooned to sub-keeper Alex Horton. The second dismissal of the morning allowed Joey Evison to dismiss a Ben Kellaway loosener to give Kent the lead at 175 for 3.
The theme of Kent losing their wickets rather than Glamorgan taking the wickets by force continued. Benjamin dragged on a wide half-volley before Evison chipped a standard, probing Zain Ul Hassan delivery of medium-pace to short-cover - the third batter to fall in the forties. Glamorgan's usual fifth seamer stepping up as the pick of the bowlers in van der Gugten's absence while eighth bowler Kiran Carlson claimed 3 for 24 after his introduction in the 105th over.
After a much-needed partnership from Evison and Finch, the former fell for 49. Finch, together with the newfound aggression of Stewart, kept the momentum going against the ungiving Kookaburra ball with stand-in captain Carlson having numerous exchanges about changing the ball throughout the day.
The pair's half-centuries, making the most of the life given to Stewart on one where he was dropped at slip by Carlson off Kellaway, gave the visitors a fighting chance until further soft dismissals brought a premature end to the innings; Matt's Parkinson and Quinn both recording pairs succeeding Stewart bringing up a half-century with three consecutive sixes off Carlson who had been proving to be Glamorgan's golden arm.
The seemingly flat pitch showed some life in the gloomy evening conditions, both Carlson and nightwatcher James Harris took the brunt of Wes Agar giving his all after both openers were dismissed.