Powell guides Glamorgan to a lead of 314 over Yorkshire

Michael Powell was in sight of his second hundred of the match, and also his 1,000 runs for the season at the end of the penultimate day of Glamorgan`s Championship match against Yorkshire at Colwyn Bay. Powell finished the day unbeaten on 81, and will need a further 24 runs on the final morning to reach this landmark, as his side ended the day with a lead of 314 over the visitors.

The day had begun with Yorkshire resuming on 291/4, but both of their overnight batsmen were back in the Rhos pavilion within the first half hour. Robert Croft made the early breakthrough when in the fifth over of the morning he had Matthew Wood caught at short-leg by Adrian Dale. The off-spinner then took a fine one-handed catch at mid-on, plucking the ball out of the air as Steve Kirby tried to hit Dean Cosker over the top.

Richard Blakey and Andy Gray then added 50 in 12 overs before Glamorgan took the new ball. Michael Kasprowicz ended the partnership as he had Blakey leg before after he had added 73 with Gray. David Harrison, who had come on at the Embankment End, soon removed Richard Dawson thanks to a fine catch at cover by Powell who held onto a rasping drive.

Gray however continued to play a series of cuts and dabs, but his next partner Chris Silverwood was soon bowled by Kasprowicz as he chopped a ball onto his stumps, and after some hearty drives by Darren Gough, the Australian clean bowled the former England quickie as Yorkshire`s innings ended on 422, with Gray unbeaten on 48.

Kasprowicz finished with 3/60, whilst Croft and Cosker also ended with 3 wickets. Croft`s tally for the summer has now reached 51 - the most so far by an English qualified spinner this season.

The loss of Yorkshire`s last six wickets in the morning session gave Glamorgan a first innings lead of 44, but they made a poor start as they lost Jimmy Maher in the opening over. Mark Wallace and Adrian Dale then added 116 for the second wicket, with Wallace playing some fluent cover drives and wristy flicks off his legs, and one of his legside glances off Dawson saw the Glamorgan wicket-keeper to his half-century from 59 balls.

Dale was initially the more passive of the two, but he lofted Yuvraj Singh over long on and through the covers for successive fours to bring up the century partnership, and their stand eventually ended when Wallace skied Dawson to Gray running back from mid-off after making 61.

Powell was soon into his stride, but he soon lost Adrian Dale as he was adjudged caught behind for 47, trying to leg-glance Yuvraj Singh. Matthew Maynard then departed soon after tea, before David Hemp came in to give Powell valiant support, and as in the first innings, the two shared a productive partnership for the fifth wicket, and saw their side build up a sizeable lead after tea. Powell raced to his half-century from just 48 balls, striking 9 fours, and punished anything offline or overpitched. He became becalmed in the final hour, as Hemp reached his fifty from 77 balls, with their unbeaten stand worth 112 runs by the close