Glamorgan lead Somerset by 229 runs at Cardiff

Glamorgan have the upper hand at the end of the second day`s play of their County Championship match with Somerset at Sophia Gardens. The Welsh county are 113/3 in their second innings, giving them an overall lead of 229, after a fine performance by their seam bowlers, especially Michael Kasprowicz who took 4/53, as Somerset were dismissed inside two sessions.

The day began with Robert Croft and David Harrison adding a further 12 runs before Croft was dismissed for a season`s best 122 as Glamorgan finished on 349, just one run short of a fourth batting point. It was a fine captain`s innings, given the fact that Croft had arrived at the crease with the score on 93-5.

As on the first day, the new ball bowlers soon made early inroads as Peter Bowler was dismissed by Alex Wharf for 5, before Darren Thomas, playing his first Championship match since the opening week of the season, dismissed Matthew Wood and James Bryant to leave Somerset on 38-3.

Jamie Cox and Michael Burns then added 64 for the fourth wicket before Burns was caught behind off Kasprowicz. Ian Blackwell took over Burns` mantle and added 61 with Cox before the Australian was dismissed by Kasprowicz for 24. The Queenslander then made further inroads in a fine spell after lunch, taking 3-0 in the space of eleven balls as Somerset slumped to 169-7.

Blackwell then launched a counter-attack on the Glamorgan bowling, but wickets continued to fall at the other end, and the spinner had scored 82 before he became another victim for wicket-keeper Mark Wallace as Somerset`s first innings ended on 233, 116 runs behind the Welsh county.

Glamorgan extended their lead by 113 during the final session, with Keith Dutch picking up two of the three wickets to fall. At the close, Jimmy Maher was unbeaten on 42, and Glamorgan fans will be hoping that Maher can mark his return to the county`s ranks, with further runs on Friday as Glamorgan consolidate on their healthy position.