[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

County Championship, Division Two

vs Glamorgan

Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Day One

Morning: Glamorgan won the toss and put the Pears in to bat on a cloudy Thursday with moisture in the pitch. It was, before long, a catastrophe for Worcestershire as the new ball dismissed Taylor Cornall LBW for 6, Ed Pollock caught at first slip for 10, Jack Haynes snaffled at third slip for a duck in the same over, Azhar Ali grabbed at second slip for 8, Brett D'Oliveira LBW for a duck and Adam Hose bowled for a duck by a loosener he chopped on to his stumps, leaving Worcs 34-6. Even a brief rebuild left the Pears 66-6 at lunch; the number of the beast somewhat appropriate for a hellish session.

Afternoon: The first over after resumption saw Matthew Waite bowled for 22 by a Michael Neser inswinger, and though the eighth-wicket partnership carried the Pears into three figures, Joe Leach was caught down the leg-side for 16, Gareth Roderick edged to second slip for 39, and Adam Finch departed LBW for a golden duck to wrap up the innings in the blink of an eye and leave Worcs all out for 109. Leach struck early in the reply to have Eddie Byrom caught behind for a duck, and again on the stroke of tea to bowl David Lloyd for 48, but the rest of the attack spent the afternoon bowling pies and allowing the hosts to race to 92-2.

Evening: With the deficit almost wiped out in less than a session, our bowlers finally woke up to the fact that they were competing in a real live match. Bowling a better line and length after tea, Waite nipped an absolute snorter in off a length to zip through the gate and remove the off-stump of Marnus Labuschagne for 42, spurring Finch on to an excellent spell in which he dismissed Sam Northeast LBW for 9, saw Kiran Carlson off in the same fashion for 13 and clipped the off-stump of Chris Cooke for a duck. But there was no budging Billy Root and Michael Neser as Glamorgan closed on 177-6 with a lead of 68; once again, lax play by the Pears leaves them requiring fireworks just to keep a toehold in a game.