Eight wickets fell during twenty dramatic overs on the third afternoon of Glamorgan’s Specsavers County Championship match against Derbyshire at Swansea, with the visitors losing 5 wickets for 5 runs in the space of 4.5 overs to the Glamorgan spinners Andrew Salter and Prem Sisodiya, as the Peakites secured a lead of just 79 runs. The Derbyshire spinners then claimed three cheap wickets before Usman Khawaja and Kiran Carlson oversaw a spirited rally adding an unbeaten 153 to take Glamorgan into the lead by 122 runs and to set up the prospect of an enthralling final day’s play.
Evening Update
Glamorgan began the session on 46/1 but after the addition of two runs, Critchley struck in his first over as he had an appeal for l.b.w. upheld by the umpire. 48/2 then became 48/3 as Qadri bowled Owen Morgan in the third over of the session. Kiran Carlson then displayed some nimble footwork as he twice danced down the wicket to cover drive Qadri for four.
Usman Khawaja also did the same to Critchley as he deposited the leg-spinner for six into the Mumbles Road although next over Critchley almost had Carlson caught at slip. A series of singles saw the deficit being erased before Khawaja, against whom there had been a couple of speculative appeals, twice swept Qadri for fours. Carlson also skewed an expansive drive against Critchley just out of the reach of backward point.
Another deft wristy stroke saw Khawaja paddle Critchley to fine-leg before he guided the spinner through point for four, followed by another element of his repertoire as he reverse-swept the leggie for four. More deft footwork by Carlson saw the teenager on-drive his counterpart for four before taking a leaf out of Khawaja’s book and flicking Qadri for four.
The spinner’s mood was not helped next ball as a misfield on the boundary edge saw another boundary for Carlson, and the flurry of fours duly saw Rampaul return at the Mumbles Road End, with Wayne Madsen’s off-spin at the Pavilion End. Khawaja garnered a brace of singles to complete a 70-ball fifty before Carlson drove Rampaul into the covers to bring up the invaluable century stand in just 21.2 overs.
Carlson then completed his fifty from 62 balls by on-driving Rampaul, prompting the return of Duann Olivier at the Mumbles Road End who delivered a series of short balls against Carlson. But Khawaja continued to unfurl some high-class shots against Madsen, twice drilling him through extra cover and cutting him square for sublime boundaries.
This resulted in the return of the frontline spinners in the closing overs, with Qadri being drilled through mid-off for four by Carlson as well as being lofted straight for six by Khawaja as the 150-stand came up in the penultimate over with Glamorgan ending the day with a lead of 122 runs.
Afternoon Update
Derbyshire resumed on 293/5and a lead of ten runs as Michael Hogan and Andrew Salter continued the bowling duties Hogan immediately found the inside edge of Critchley’s bat but the ball sped away to fine-leg for four. Jack Murphy also had a short spell at the Mumbles Road End as the Derbyshire batsmen continued their quiet accumulation under the clear blue skies.
The sequence of singles ended as Critchley clipped both Salter and Murphy to fine-leg for a pair of fours. It then became all-spin as Prem Sisodiya replaced Murphy, with Wilson sweeping the rookie left-armer for four, before repeating the stroke against Salter. Critchley then took a leaf out of his partner’s book by sweeping Sisodiya to the ropes
But the debutant played a key role in the dramatic collapse which followed as Derbyshire slipped from 357/5 to 362 all out in the space of 29 balls. Firstly, he ran out Wilson as the Irishman tried to sneak a second run because of an overthrow. One run later he bowled Tony Palladino for a duck before Salter snaffled Hamidullah Qadri as the Peakite edged a ball into Chris Cooke’s gloves. Sisodiya then had Duann Olivier l.b.w. as the Protea propped forward defensively before Ravi Rampaul edged him into the hands of Nick Selman at slip as the Peakites innings ended in dramatic fashion.
The Glamorgan second innings began with a flurry of fours as Murphy steered Rampaul to third man and cover point before Selman twice swatted Olivier through backward point before Rampaul was cut again by Murphy in successive balls for four and three. The southpaw then drilled Olivier through mid-off for a rasping four before Hamidullah Qadri had a spell before tea. Rampaul duly switched to the Mumbles Road End and was scythed for four by the assertive Murphy, but shortly before tea Murphy was snared l.b.w by the teenage spinner as Glamorgan went to tea on 46/1.
Morning Report
The fates have not smiled kindly on Glamorgan so far during this match – firstly, the meteorological and maritime conditions combined an hour into their first innings to briefly produce perfect conditions for swing bowling as five wickets tumbled in nine overs for 25 runs. Then yesterday, David Lloyd sustained a leg injury midway through his fourth over and departed the field.
The new ball was three overs away when play began this morning, but given the state of the game, the slow scoring rate, Lloyd’s indisposition and the presence of Andrew Salter and Prem Sisodiya in their line-up, Glamorgan continued with the old ball as Lukas Carey and Michael Hogan resumed the bowling duties. After a sequence of dot balls, Alex Hughes struck the day’s first boundary of the day as he flicked Carey to fine-leg. After half an hour, Salter replaced Carey at the Pavilion End whilst Billy Godleman ended his quiet reconnaissance by cover-driving Hogan for four.
Another boundary came Derbyshire’s way in more fortuitous circumstances as Hughes under-edged a cut against Salter for four with the ball just evading the out-stretched fingers of Nick Selman at slip. Sisodiya then replaced Hogan at the Mumbles Road End before Hughes again edged Salter to the third man boundary before Godleman opened his shoulders to loft Sisodiya over long-on for six as Derbyshire secured a second batting point.
Hughes then completed his century, from 180 balls, by cover-driving Salter for four but two balls later the off-spinner ended Godleman’s stay at the crease as he was adjudged l.b.w. for 24. 257/4 then became 265/5 as a mix-up in calling saw Hughes run out by Hogan. Wilson atoned by sweeping Sisodiya for four before Glamorgan took the new ball after 100 overs with Carey and Hogan returning for another salvo.
Wilson square-cut Carey for another boundary shortly before lunch