Rothesay County Championship, Division One, Edgbaston (day four)
Glamorgan 360 & 259: Ingram 101, Kellaway 42; Bamber 5-48
Warwickshire 252 & 100-2: Davies46; Hadley 1-10
Warwickshire (12 pts) drew with Glamorgan (14 pts)
Rain had the decisive say on the final day as a fine game of County Championship cricket between Warwickshire and Glamorgan petered out into a draw at Edgbaston.
After Glamorgan’s second innings closed on the fourth morning at 259 all out, Colin Ingram scoring 101 off 159 balls and Ethan Bamber taking 5-48, Warwickshire faced a victory target of 367 in a minimum of 75 overs.
An intriguing finish beckoned with all results possible when Warwickshire reached 100-2 (Alex Davies 46 off 66) with 46 overs left. But then the rain, which had already stripped the match of 44 overs lost on the first three days, returned.
It was a frustrating end to an excellent, fluctuating match, though both sides will be happy enough with a solid points haul from a draw which keeps them well-placed in the Division One table.
Warwickshire’s players wore black armbands and the club flag at Edgbaston was at half-mast in tribute to the great Mike (MJK) Smith who passed away yesterday, aged 92.
The former England and Warwickshire captain, a bold and enterprising skipper and humble and gracious man, played 50 Test matches and scored 39,832 first class runs, including 69 centuries, in his magnificent career.
On the field, Glamorgan had resumed on 192-5, already 300 ahead, with an intriguing decision to make about how much longer to occupy the crease. Their strategy appeared to be simply to bat normally and see what happened – there was certainly no attempt to score quickly.
Bamber completed his five-for when Chris Cooke edged to Rob Yates at second slip for six. Ingram completed his 28th first class century then fell lbw to Jordan Thompson who quickly added the wicket of Mason Crane, caught behind without scoring.
When Nathan Gilchrist took out the last two, Tom Norton (seven) driving to cover and Ryan Hadley skying a slog for two, a desultory 80-minuute session had brought Glamorgan 67 runs for the last five wickets.
Glamorgan’s opening bowlers, particularly Timm van der Gugten, then bowled well without luck as Warwickshire openers Davies and Yates posted a careful 50 in 16 overs. Their stand reached 72 before Davies was lbw to a ball from Zain-ul-Hassan that kept low.
Hadley added the wicket of Dan Mousley, who was smartly caught by diving wicketkeeper Cooke off an inside-edge for 15, but almost immediately the rain returned for the final and decisive time.
Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.
Warwickshire head coach Ian Westwood said: “It was a really competitive game which ebbed and flowed, and it was just a shame the rain came today when it did. Conditions changed throughout the game which made it interesting. Every time it clouded over and drizzled, batting was hard, then the sun came out and the ball got a bit softer and it looked good for batting.
“It was tough for them today, I felt for them having to try and work out how many they could set us and how long they needed to bowl us out. When you are not sure what the weather’s doing, it’s never easy
“We were behind after the first two days so I was really pleased with the way we fought back and we were fancying it there at the end. We were certainly in the game in terms of chasing that target, and we were ticking along nicely after lunch. Alex (Davies) and Rob (Yates) played nicely and we felt if we got to tea with wickets in hand, with that short boundary, we could have a real go. Sadly, it wasn’t possible.”
Glamorgan head coach Richard Dawson said: “The weather came in today so we came up short but it was a good four days. Both sides played really well and to come away with 14 points, and to be where we are after the first block of Championship games, is really pleasing.
“Colin’s (Ingram) century in the second innings allowed us to get a total on the board and then we wanted to really attack with the ball.
“I’m really pleased about how we have gone about our cricket this season. We have gone away to some very established First Division teams and the lads have acquitted themselves really well. I’ve just said to the boys now, let’s take that self-belief into the Twenty20 competition.”
