Glamorgan confirm Harris departure

Glamorgan have announced that 22-year-old seam bowler James Harris will leave the county where he made his debut aged 16 at the end of the season. The news came as Glamorgan batted their way to a draw against Northamptonshire, with Stewart Walters making 98.

Harris, an England Lions player, is contracted to the Welsh club until the end of next summer but has a non-promotion clause that allows him to leave a year early. His most likely destination is Nottinghamshire, who are in Division One and offered the player a contract earlier this week.

Harris, 22, has played 64 first-class matches since his debut in 2007, taking 227 wickets at an average of 27.53 runs. Glamorgan had been keen to retain the services of one of their brightest talents but were unable to reach an agreement.

A club statement read: "Over the past few weeks, the club have held a number of meetings with James to discuss his future career, which culminated in the club tabling a substantial contract offer. Sadly, this offer was not accepted and James will now be leaving the club.

"Glamorgan Cricket would like to thank James for his outstanding contribution to the club since making his debut back in 2007. He is a talented young cricketer and departs with the club's best wishes. Like all other cricket supporters, we hope he will be able to fulfil his England ambitions in the near future."

Harris, the quickest man to reach 100 and 200 first-class wickets for Glamorgan, had a slow start to the current campaign after missing a month with a hernia problem but caught the eye with figures of 6 for 102 in the four-day game between England Lions and Australia A at Edgbaston earlier this month.

In the Division Two game at Cardiff, Walters fell two short of his second century of the season as Glamorgan batted out a draw on the final day. Walters scored 98 from 226 balls with 14 fours and Marcus North contributed 57 as Glamorgan reached 302 for 5 in reply to Northamptonshire's 432 for 8 declared.

It was a tame final day as the captains - Mark Wallace and Andrew Hall - could not agree to set up a game. Glamorgan resumed on 10 without loss but, with little to play for, they reached 75 for 2 at lunch from 43 overs - at a pitiful run rate of 1.74. William Bragg and Nick James were the men to fall.

Con de Lange thought he had a second victim on the stroke of lunch but Stephen Peters put down a difficult chance at short midwicket when North had made just one run. He went on to make his sixth half-century in 12 Championship innings this season.

But North went shortly after reaching his own half-century to a fine one-handed catch by Alex Wakely off Hall. Wakely had to leave the field, however for treatment on an injured finger. Three overs later Ben Wright was neatly stumped down the leg-side by David Murphy standing up to Lee Daggett, to leave Glamorgan 177 for 4.

Walters and Allenby put on 101 for the fifth wicket before Walters was bowled via an inside edge by Hall as Glamorgan went in search of a third batting point. Allenby and Wallace took Glamorgan to a third batting point before both sides shook hands.