Runs flowed in the sunshine at Swansea with outstanding innings from Murray Goodwin (178) and Jim Allenby (76) as each reached 1,000 first-class runs for the summer. Mark Wallace also scored a jaunty 86 as Glamorgan amassed 445/7 against Leicestershire at Swansea, besides securing a healthy lead of 242 at the end of the second day of their match in the LV=County Championship.
Indeed, the conditions seemed to have eased as the pair quickly doubled the score with Goodwin off-driving the third ball of the day for four from Alex Wyatt, before Cooke did the same in Ollie Freckingham's opening over. Cooke then slapped another short and wide delivery from Freckingham through extra cover before Goodwin pulled Watt to square-leg for four.
Goodwin then greeted the introduction of Ben Raine into the attack by drilling his second ball to mid-off before Cooke nonchalantly clipped Freckingham to square-leg for another boundary. This flurry of fours against the seamers prompted the introduction of the left-arm spin of James Sykes in the 28th over at the Mumbles Road End. But it was the seam of Raine which made the breakthrough as with the score on 83, Cooke edged an intended cut into O'Brien's gloves.
Jim Allenby duly joined Goodwin, needing 59 runs to become Glamorgan's first batsman to a thousand runs in first-class cricket this season, and he got off the mark by deftly glancing Sykes for two. Goodwin then unfurled a rasping square-cut as the Welsh county reached the 100-mark in the 36th over. Goodwin then clipped Wyatt through mid-wicket for four en route to a 135-ball fifty, reached with another rasping square-cut against Sykes.
Allenby duly celebrated by lofting Sykes for a straight six before clipping Wyatt to the ropes at mid-wicket before Goodwin swept the spinner for two fours as Glamorgan's position continued to improve as lunch approached.
Allenby then on-drove Freckingham for four before cutting Raine for four to complete his fifty from 77 balls. He then despatched Raine for a further four before adding another cover drive against the seam of Tom Wells to reach 1,000 first-class runs for the season and to take Glamorgan to their first batting point.
James Sykes' spin was then re-introduced at the Pavilion End but he was also despatched for four by the rampant Allenby as the ball sped away through backward point. Goodwin then unleashed another booming off-drive for four against Wells, but Wyatt then returned at the Mumbles Road End and ended Allenby's merry spree as the all-rounder edged a ball into the wicket-keeper's gloves ending the stand which had added 140 in 35 overs, and taken Glamorgan into the lead
Mark Wallace announced his arrival by guiding Wyatt to third man for four whilst Goodwin continued to play freely, cover driving Sykes for four before swatting Wyatt for four. Wallace then pulled the tall seamer for four to secure a second batting point before Goodwin nonchalantly drilled Josh Cobb through the covers before driving the spinner for two to complete his fourth hundred of the summer.
After acknowledging the crowd, he calmly re-marked his guard and then swept Sykes for four before pulling consecutive long-hops from Cobb to the ropes at mid-wicket. Goodwin also off-drove Sykes for four besides pulling Raine for three successive fours as the pair continued to extend Glamorgan's lead in the overs leading up to the tea interval.
Murray Goodwin then unfurled a pair of cover drives against Freckingham - the first of which saw him reach 150 from 278 balls, whilst the second saw him emulate Allenby's achievement of reaching 1,000 first-class runs for the summer. Further boundaries by Wallace against Sykes saw Glamorgan approach the 400-mark and maximum batting points, with Josh Cobb also returning to the attack and being driven again by Goodwin through mid-off.
The elder statesman of county cricket then turned his attention to Tom Wells' medium-pace which he savagely pulled for four to mid-wicket before sending the next ball like a tracer bullet to long-off. But the sixth wicket stand ended when Raine returned as Wallace edged the bowler into O'Brien's gloves having added 189 in 39 overs. Four balls later, Goodwin's noble innings ended as he was bowled sweeping Sykes, and it was Graham Wagg and Andrew Salter who played out the remaining seven overs, but not before a gleeful Wagg had despatched Sykes for a pair of huge sixes - the first into the Mumbles Road before repeating the stroke into the Balconiers Bar - and Salter had driven Freckingham for three successive fours in the penultimate over, and all on a day when 409 runs were scored in a day's play - the most-ever by Glamorgan in a Championship match at Swansea.
