Cooke and Goodwin see Glamorgan to 226/4 at the Ageas Bowl

After a bowling performance yesterday that was good in parts, Glamorgan began this morning with a relatively new ball, looking to polish off the Hampshire innings in less oppressive conditions than yesterday after an overnight thunderstorm. For Michael Hogan in particular, it promised to be a red letter day as the tall pace bowler needed just two wickets to become the first bowler in the country to reach fifty wickets this summer in Championship cricket.

With Hampshire on 261/6 Graham Wagg completed the unfinished over from last night before James Vince struck successive deliveries from Hogan to the ropes at third man and extra cover. Adam Wheater also cover drove Hogan for four before, with the score on 276, Vince edged Wagg to give Mark Wallace his fifth catch of the innings.

Wheater then straight drove Hogan for four before Sohail Tanvir edged Wagg through the slips for another boundary. The Pakistani then pulled a short ball from Wagg for four followed by a deft nurdle for four by Wheater against Allenby as Hampshire reached the 300-mark in the 98th over as Wheater despatched John Glover's first delivery of the day through the covers. But the young seamer had the last laugh as later in the over the diminutive batsman spooned a catch to Will Bragg at cover as Hampshire lost their eighth wicket on 305.

Tanvir used the long handle to deposit Glover to the boards at mid-wicket, whilst Chris Wood also opened his shoulders to heave Dean Cosker to long-on, but with the total on 322 Glover yorked Tanvir. Wood then flayed Glover to long-on before lofting Cosker straight for six. He continued his merry spree by off-driving Hogan for four before being dropped by Bragg at extra cover as he miscued another expansive blow. But next over the innings ended as Griffiths skied a drive against Cosker into Marcus North's hands.

Gareth Rees and Will Bragg began the Glamorgan innings immediately after lunch with the latter guiding Chris Wood to the ropes at third man, but in the seventh over he was bowled by Tanvir as Glamorgan lost their first wicket on 12.Murray Goodwin got off the mark with a fierce cut for four over the head of gully against Chris Wood before deftly glancing David Griffiths to the ropes at long-leg.

Goodwin continued in assertive mode as he cover drove Sean Ervine's first ball to the boundary boards before Rees guided Griffiths to long-leg. But later in the over the seamer sent Rees' cartwheeling out of the ground as Glamorgan slipped to 45/2. Marcus North then brought up the fifty by clipping Ervine to square-leg, followed by a similar shot by Goodwin against Griffiths.

North then on-drove Griffiths for four before steering Tanvir to backward point. He followed this with a classical cover drive against James Vince whilst Goodwin glanced Liam Dawson to long-leg as the third wicket pair further consolidated in the overs before tea.

After adding 57 in 20 overs before tea, the third wicket pairing of Marcus North and Murray Goodwin resumed after the interval with the former clipping David Griffiths through mid-wicket for four. But shortly afterwards the Australian shouldered arms against Chris Wood and was bowled for 36.

With the total on 115/3, Chris Cooke joined Goodwin, who upper cut a short ball from Griffiths over the head of the slip cordon before Cooke opened his account with a cut through backward point for four against Wood. Cooke then survived a chance at first slip but he celebrated his good fortune by pulling a short ball from James Vince for four to backward square-leg, followed by a rasping cut to square-leg when Sean Ervine dropped short.

Cooke duly repeated the stroke against Vince to bring up the 150 before sending the ball crashing through extra cover for another four. Goodwin then completed his fifty after three hours at the crease as he savagely pulled Ervine for four - his 113th delivery - before Hampshire switched to spin with Danny Briggs returning to bowl. Cooke steered his first delivery to the vacant third man position but three balls later the spinner trapped Goodwin l.b.w. for 51.

Jim Allenby duly joined Cooke who cut another short ball from Ervine for four followed next ball by a rasping pull behind square. Cooke then greeted the return of Sohail Tanvir by glancing him to long-leg before pulling him to the boards at mid-wicket to complete a maiden Championship fifty from 72 balls.

The pair carefully played out the closing forty minutes with Cooke twice tucking Tanvir off his legs as Glamorgan secured their first batting point in the 63rd over, before Allenby despatched Briggs through the covers for four. In the penultimate over, Cooke unfurled two more delicate leg-glances for four against Briggs as Glamorgan ended the day in a promising position.