An unbeaten 68 by Ben Wright plus 62 from Will Bragg saw Glamorgan declare on 275/7 after the Welsh county were put in to bat on the opening day of their first-class friendly against Cardiff MCCU at the SWALEC Stadium.
Despite March 2013 having been the second coldest on record, the new first-class season begun under blue skies and sunshine at the SWALEC Stadium, but there was still a bitter wind blowing across the outfield as the student team, drawn from the Universities of Cardiff, Glamorgan and Cardiff Met, took to the field after winning the toss. Their captain's decision to bowl first was nearly vindicated as to the ninth ball of the game Will Bragg edged Matthew Hobden to Zac Elkin at second slip, but the fielder could not hold onto the chance.
Jon Denning also had a loud shout for lbw rejected against Gareth Rees as the left-arm swing bowler from Abergavenny began with a trio of maidens in an accurate opening salvo. Hobden also beat the bat on several occasions as he also began with a probing spell, but it was Phil Harris who made the breakthrough as, with his first delivery, he had Rees caught at slip as he propped forward, with Elkin atoning for his earlier fumble.
Stewart Walters then joined Bragg and immediately got the scoreboard moving by crisply on-driving Harris. Next over, Bragg cover drove Hobden to post his first boundary of the summer before Walters guided Harris through the vacant gully. The latter then added a third to his tally, albeit in a more fortuitous way as he inside-edged a drive against Hobden.
Bragg greeted the introduction of Scott Phillips into the attack by steering him through extra cover and then nonchalantly leg-glancing as the fifty came up in the 22nd over. After a series of singles, the assertive Walters brought up the fifty partnership with a drive through mid-wicket against Denning before inside-edging another drive against Hobden as the opening bowlers returned to the attack.
Another forcing blow off the back foot against Harris saw Bragg post his fifth boundary as he completed a 98-ball half century shortly before lunch, although he was fortunate once again that Andrew Balbirnie at slip could not quite hold onto a fierce slash.
The afternoon session began with Walters straight-driving Phillips for four, but the bowler from Mumbles CC then ended the stand as he dismissed both batsmen in the space of three balls, firstly as Walters miscued a pull and was caught at the fourth attempt by a juggling Sam Davies running back at square-leg. Two balls later 117/2 became 117/3 as Phillips bowled Bragg for 62.
Marcus North and Ben Wright then joined forces, with North crisply on-driving Phillips for four, besides playing a couple of other forcing drives but the Australian's stay at the crease proved to be a brief one as with the total on 135, he shouldered arms to Hobden and was bowled. Jim Allenby began with a brace of crisply-struck drives whilst Wright despatched Hobden for a pair of off-side boundaries before clipping Andrew Salter to the ropes at mid-wicket.
When Harris returned at the River End, Allenby steered him through backward point for four before Wright caressed Salter for fours through extra cover and mid-off. The flurry of boundaries continued as Allenby drilled Harris to long-on before Wright despatched Salter through the off-side again en route to a 78-ball fifty. Both batsmen then guided Phillips for four through point - Allenby behind square and Wright in front as the fifth wicket pair continued to stabilise the Glamorgan innings shortly before tea.
After the interval the students employed an all-spin attack as Andrew Balbirnie had a spell at the River End. The Irishman's flighted off-spin was treated with disdain by Allenby who cut him through backward point for four to bring up the century stand. The all-rounder then tried to launch an assault on Salter as he approached his half-century, but he proceeded to hole out at long-on as Denning held a well judged catch in the blustery conditions.
With the total on 236/5, Mark Wallace arrived at the crease - in his 200th game in all first-class cricket - and the Glamorgan captain was soon off the mark as he scampered some swift singles before unfurling some sweetly timed drives and glances to the ropes as the students took the new ball. But with the total on 269 he spliced a drive against Denning into Miles' gloves and next ball the left-armer struck again as John Glover clipped the ball to Davies at square-leg.
Three overs later, Wallace declared with his side on 275/7, leaving the students with 35 minutes of batting. Cowdrey and Elkin safely negotiated the seam bowling of Huw Waters, Mike Reed and Glover, plus some spin from Cosker as Cardiff MCCU ended the day on 33 without loss.
