Allenby helps Glamorgan to build a lead over Worcestershire

Honours on day one of the contest had gone to Glamorgan with Mike Reed - literally standing head and shoulders above the others - as he claimed his maiden Championship 'five-for' and the second best of his fledgling county career, whilst Michael Hogan bowled a waspish spell as the pair dismantled the Worcestershire batting inside 64 overs to fully justify the decision to bowl first in the overcast conditions.

At first, the meteorological conditions on day two were somewhat different, with the "fifty shades of grey" skyline replaced by a more kaleidoscopic mix of various blues and whites as sunshine bathed the Cardiff ground, together with a blustery wind as the players warmed up ahead of the 11am start.

When play began, Will Bragg immediately got the scoreboard moving by twice punching Chris Russell off the back foot through backward point for a couple of rasping boundaries. At the other end, the veteran Alan Richardson was in his metronomic and miserly mode, not conceding a run until his fourth over, and then albeit courtesy of a scrambled single by Ben Wright.

The cloud cover had steadily increased and 5.4 overs had been bowled when another downpour sent the players and umpires scurrying from the field, causing the loss of a further hour's play and ten overs.

When play resumed at 12.30pm, Wright clipped Richardson off his legs for a couple of runs, followed by a firm on-drive against the veteran before Bragg again pierced the ring of fielders square of the wicket on the off-side with another controlled steer through backward point for four as Gareth Andrew entered the attack. But the former Somerset all-rounder swiftly made amends as he bowled Bragg for 17, as Glamorgan lost their first wicket on 22.

Stewart Walters opened his account by edging Richardson through the slips, before Wright clipped Andrew through mid-wicket for three.

After the morning showers, there was plenty of sunshine and blue skies over the Stadium as Ben Wright and Stewart Walters resumed the innings with the first boundary of the afternoon coming from four overthrows by Alan Richardson as a shy from the veteran evaded the outstretched gloves of the wicket-keeper and run away to the ropes. A more conventional four then followed from Walters who cover drove Andrew, but the bowler made the perfect riposte as he trapped the right-hander l.b.w. with the next delivery.

With the Welsh county on 44/2 Marcus North duly joined Wright who added another four off the inside edge against Richardson before the Australian brought up the fifty with a booming off-drive against Andrew. The pair then quietly worked the ball around for one's and two's as they chiselled away further at the deficit in the blustery conditions.

This sequence was ended when a thick edge by North against Chris Russell sped away to the ropes at third man, but there was nothing iffy about the southpaw's next boundary as he drilled Lucas to long-off. Shortly afterwards, Wright added to his boundary tally as he savagely pulled Russell through mid-wicket, before driving Richardson, who had switched to the Cathedral Road End, through extra cover as the third wicket pair posted a fifty-run stand. Two overs later an on-driven four by North saw Glamorgan reach the 100-mark, but next over Wright was caught behind off Richardson as he propped forward to the seamer.

With Murray Goodwin as his new partner, North unfurled another off-drive against Richardson that sped to the boundary boards before violently pulling Lucas to the ropes in front of the Grandstand, but with the total on 114, Goodwin was caught at point by Neil Pinner.

Jim Allenby duly joined North and immediately got into his stride by despatching Lucas for successive fours through the covers as Glamorgan wiped off the arrears shortly before the delayed tea interval.

Having moved into the ascendancy shortly before tea, North and Jim Allenby looked to build on this position after the interval, and the southpaw gave immediate signs of his positive intent as he crisply off-drove Gareth Andrew for four before clipping Alan Richardson through mid-wicket. But the old warhorse had the final laugh as next over he dismissed North l.b.w.

Allenby responded by pulling Andrew for four but in his next over the bowler helped Worcestershire clinch a second bowling point as wicket-keeper Michael Johnson clung onto an inside-edge from Mark Wallace's bat as Glamorgan stuttered to 152/6. Allenby though remained unruffled and proceeded to cover drive, on-drive, square-drive and pull to mid-on four successive deliveries from Chris Russell, all to the boundary boards.

Graham Wagg got off the mark with a straight drive for four as Daryl Mitchell entered the attack before the all-rounder guided David Lucas to the vacant third man position. Allenby also cover drove Lucas en route to a fifty, reached with a deft nurdle to third man - his 94th delivery and eighth boundary as Glamorgan also secured their first batting point of the season in the 76th over. Allenby celebrated by cover driving Moeen Ali's spin shortly before Worcestershire took the new ball with Glamorgan 0n 215/6.

Richardson and Russell then had nine overs with the new cherry in a bid to break the stubborn seventh wicket stand which had consolidated Glamorgan's position. It took precisely one delivery though to achieve this goal as Wagg top-edged a pull against Richardson's first ball and he was well caught by Lucas running in at long-leg. Allenby also had a life as Moeen at slip dropped an edge as Russell returned before the obdurate Dean Cosker helped Allenby take Glamorgan to the close.