David Lloyd fifty leads Glamorgan on rain-hit first day of Cheltenham Festival

Only 40 overs were possible on the opening day of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival where Glamorgan closed on 152 for 2 in their LV= Insurance County Championship match with Gloucestershire.

Rain and bad light frustrated players and spectators at the College Ground after an opening stand of 111 between David Lloyd and Zain ul Hassan, who batted through the morning session.

Lloyd led the way with an exuberant 81 off 102 balls, with 13 fours, while ul Hassan contributed a solid if less fluent 30 from 103 deliveries.

Off-spinner Zafar Gohar and seamer Tom Price were the Gloucestershire wicket-takers after they had lost the toss. The hosts gave a first-class debut to 19-year-old Joe Phillips and had seamer Paul Meekeren playing for them in a Championship game for the first time.

Lloyd looked in excellent touch from the outset on what appeared a true batting pitch. The Glamorgan skipper had just two worrying moments in making his way to an attractive half-century off 57 balls, with 10 fours.

The first came when he was struck a stunning blow on the helmet by a short ball from van Meekeren with his score on 33 in the 16th over. The impact saw pieces fly off the helmet and play was held up while Lloyd was checked over. He was soon deemed fit to carry on, but had an escape on 44 when dropped at point by Price, diving two-handed to his right, off the bowling of seamer Dom Godman.

By lunch, which was taken at 100 for no wicket off 29 overs, Lloyd had progressed to 65 not out, while ul Hassan had struck five fours in his 30.

Price had looked the pick of the Gloucestershire bowlers, conceding only seven runs from his opening spell of six overs. But it was Gohar, introduced just before lunch, who made a much-needed breakthrough shortly after the interval.

Without adding to his score, ul Hassan went across his stumps to glance a ball from the spinner, failed to get a touch, and fell lbw. Nelson had struck as the scoreboard, which had stopped working for much of the morning session, registered 111.

The first rain break came soon after 2pm, with Lloyd having moved onto 80. Tea was taken at 3.15pm and 18 overs were lost before the resumption at 4pm.

Having added only a single to his score, Lloyd fell leg before to Price, aiming to play into the leg side off the back foot, his chances of a century having been hampered by the interruption to play.

It was 122 for 2 and Gloucestershire thought they had taken a third wicket seven runs later when Sam Northeast, on three, played a ball from van Meekeren to gully where Price claimed what would have been a sensational low one-handed catch, diving to his left.

The home players grouped to celebrate, but the experienced Northeast stood his ground and after consultation, umpires Neil Pratt and Chris Watts ruled him not out. Words were exchanged between van Meekeren and Northeast before the over was concluded and tempers cooled.

Colin Ingram brought up the Glamorgan 150 with a pulled four off Price before bad light and drizzle sent the players off at just after 4.20pm. The rain then became steadier and the umpires called off play for the day at shortly before 5.30pm.