India A match ends in a watery draw

Another day of heavy drizzle interspersed with spells of more persistant rain meant that only 25.2 overs were possible on the final day of Glamorgan`s tour match against India A at Swansea. With the loss of so much time over the three days, it was predictable that the game should end in a draw, but not before the clatter of 7 wickets today as the seam bowlers found the moist and overcast conditions much to their liking. Had it not been for this intervention by the weather, this game would surely have had a positive outcome.

Morning rain meant that play did not start until 11.30 a.m.,and during the hour`s play before lunch, the Welsh county lost a further four wickets whilst adding 32 runs in 13 overs, including a spell of three wickets in consecutive balls from Amit Bhandari and Lakshmipathy Balaji.

Adrian Shaw was the first man to go as in the fifth over he touched a lifting delivery from Balaji to wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel after adding 56 in 19 overs with Mark Wallace for the fifth wicket. The new batsman Dean Cosker did not last long as he edged the fifth ball of Bhandari`s tenth over into the hands of first slip, and then next ball Darren Thomas was yorked. Balaji then bowled Mark Wallace with the next delivery from the Mumbles Road End as Glamorgan collapsed to 117-8.

But Robert Croft and David Harrison then added 19 runs in the next four overs before another heavy squall sent the players into the St.Helen`s pavilion for an early lunch, and further drizzle meant that there was a further delay of 65 minutes.

To the third ball after the resumption, David Harrison drove Bhandari to Amit Mishra at backward point, and then in his next over Bhandari bowled Owen Parkin to finish with figures of 6-38 - the best on the tour so far, and the seamer`s second five wicket haul against county opposition.

With just 42 overs remaining, it seemed there would be an opportunity for the visitors to have further batting practice, but Satyajit Parab was caught at first slip off the fourth ball of the innings, bowled by David Harrison. Then seven overs later another shower drifted in from Swansea Bay with India A on 13-1, and the players left the field for an early tea.

The precipitation caused another twenty minutes to be lost, and then when the players returned, another shower came in after a further 17 balls had been bowled, bringing an end to a contest where the weather was the only winner.