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26th September 2019 Match Reports

Durham v Glamorgan abandoned due to further rain

Durham 262/8 (Watling 104*, Lees 45; Hogan 4/35)

Play was abandoned on the final day of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two match between Durham and Glamorgan without a ball being bowled, ending the contest as a draw at Emirates Riverside.

Conditions that prevented play on Wednesday did not improve at Chester-le-Street overnight, leaving the already drenched outfield increasingly sodden by 9am. The umpires made the early decision to call off the game, despite a bright forecast in the afternoon.

The draw ended Glamorgan’s hopes of beating out Gloucestershire for the final promotion spot, finishing 15 points off the pace of third place. The Welsh outfit finished in fourth after taking seven points from the game, while Durham were one spot behind in fifth to end the campaign.

Durham 262/8 (Watling 104*, Lees 45; Hogan 4/35)

Play was abandoned for the day without a ball being bowled in the Specsavers County Championship Division Two match between Durham and Glamorgan at Emirates Riverside.

Rain from Tuesday had left the pitch waterlogged, while the weather persisted through the night and into the morning. An early lunch was called with an inspection planned for 1.30pm. After an initial glance at conditions, the umpires opted for another look at the pitch at 2.45pm.

Matters did not improve in the hour and 15 minutes, with light drizzle thwarting the attempts of the groundstaff to make conditions playable. The decision was made to abandon the contest for the day, leaving Glamorgan’s hopes of pulling off an unlikely victory to boost their promotion hopes slim to say the least.

Durham 262/8 (Watling 104*, Lees 45; Hogan 4/35)

Glamorgan’s slim hopes of promotion took a huge hit courtesy of the weather and BJ Watling in their Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash against Durham at Emirates Riverside.

Only 15 overs of play were possible on day two due to heavy rain, although the home side were able to record two batting bonus points, while Watling notched his 17th first-class century to frustrate the Glamorgan attack.
Marchant de Lange took the two wickets to fall on day two, but Durham were able to grind out a strong platform for the rest of the game.

Glamorgan need to win the contest and hope Gloucestershire are unable to claim enough points from their clash against Northamptonshire to earn the final promotion spot to Division One. However, the rain has left their margin for error next to nothing heading into the final two days of the match.

The hosts resumed on 197-6 with Watling and Ben Raine at the crease. However, it took only three deliveries for Glamorgan to make the breakthrough. Raine got caught in two minds whether to leave a De Lange delivery and played on to his own stumps to fall for 26.

Leg byes brought up the 200 for the home side and the first batting point of the game before Brydon Carse upped the run rate as he pierced the off-side with regularity to find the fence. He was looking comfortable at the crease, scoring a brisk 27, but then fended a rising ball from De Lange through to Chris Cooke behind the stumps.

Watling worked his way through the nineties and took his opportunity on 99 to send a quick single into the leg-side, notching his first hundred for Durham from 201 deliveries. The home side secured their second bonus point after passing the 250-run mark, solidifying their position in the match before rain brought a premature to the day.

Durham 197/6 (Watling 83*, Lees 45; Hogan 4/31)

BJ Watling scored an unbeaten innings of 83 on his home debut to guide Durham to a total of 197-6 on day one of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash against Glamorgan at Emirates Riverside.

Watling was composed throughout the day, displaying a solid technique at the crease. He made his half-century in 90 deliveries, while others in the ranks struggled to get going, with Alex Lees providing the next highest score of 45.

Michael Hogan was on point with the ball for the visitors, providing a constant threat. The 38-year-old claimed impressive figures of 4-31, but Watling’s stand made it honours even on day one as bad light brought play to a close.

A leak in the covers allowed overnight rain to spill on to the prepared wicket, forcing the action to be delayed and played on the far end of the square at Emirates Riverside. Durham were inserted after an uncontested toss when play eventually began at noon and lost their first wicket in the third over when Cameron Steel was pinned lbw by Hogan.

Lees did find his form, although he survived a close lbw shout off Hogan. Glamorgan notched their second wicket of the day as Lukas Carey found Angus Robson’s edge and Kraigg Brathwaite claimed the catch at second slip. Lees and Watling stemmed the tide until the lunch break, and the two players put on fifty for the third wicket in 82 balls.

Lees was on the verge of fifty, but Hogan removed him lbw on his return to the attack as the left-hander left a delivery that nipped in late. Watling was undeterred and continued on his way to his maiden fifty for Durham on his bow at Chester-le-Street. The New Zealander reached the milestone in 90 deliveries, including six boundaries. He forged a useful stand of 45 with Jack Burnham before a rising delivery from David Lloyd accounted for Burnham, who fended to Billy Root at gully.

Glamorgan were able to turn the screw as Sol Bell scored only a single on his first-class debut before he saw his off stump removed by Hogan. The veteran seamer then dismissed Ned Eckersley lbw for seven to notch his fourth wicket of the innings, edging the visitors in front in the day.

Amid the chaos at the other end Watling held firm and was untroubled by the Glamorgan attack, while Ben Raine provided support with resistance in the lower order with a late flurry of runs. Their late partnership worth 36 moved the home side towards the 200-run mark before bad light brought a premature end to the contest on day one.

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