Hampshire trail by 14 runs at the Ageas Bowl

The second day of this contest had definitely been Glamorgan's day as, after dismissing the home side for 349 in the first session, the visitors reached 226/4 at the close of play after a stubborn fifty by Murray Goodwin blunted the home team's new ball attack before a Championship best of 73* from Chris Cooke who, during the final hour, unfurled a range of sweetly-timed strokes with Jim Allenby which had put Hampshire on the back foot.

Glamorgan duly began the third morning of the contest eager to build on the good work yesterday, whilst there were a couple of personal milestones on the horizon with Cooke - in only his third Championship innings - in sight of a maiden hundred and Allenby just 106 runs away of reaching a thousand for the summer in first-class cricket. With the new ball just a dozen overs away, spinner Danny Briggs and David Griffiths resumed the bowling with the latter being scythed in successive balls over the head of gully and through cover point by Allenby for the day's first boundaries.

With Cooke starting with a trio of singles, the assertive Allenby then on-drove Briggs for four before despatching the next delivery through extra cover. He then deftly late cut the spinner for four before Cooke found the ropes as he pulled a short ball from Griffiths. Liam Dawson had a brief spell at the Northern End as the 100-stand came up with four byes before Allenby reached his fifty from 68 balls by drilling Briggs through mid-wicket.

Hampshire then took the new ball in a bid to break the partnership as Sohail Tanvir and Chris Wood returned to the fray. The latter was duly cut for four by Cooke before Allenby drove the former through the covers and backward point in consecutive balls for two more for fours, but with Glamorgan three runs away from another batting point, Allenby was caught at second slip as he edged Tanvir. Five balls later 297/5 became 297/6 as Cooke's fine innings ended as he edged Wood to first slip.

The 300 then came up with an all-run four by Graham Wagg as he clipped Wood through mid-wicket followed by two elegant off-side fours in an over from Mark Wallace as he struck Tanvir through backward point and extra cover. Wagg duly on-drove the Pakistani for four, before nonchalantly clipping Wood to the ropes at square-leg. Wallace then greeted the return of James Vince by glancing the medium-pacer to long-leg.

Three fours in successive balls by Wagg against Griffiths took Glamorgan closer to the 350-mark, and a first innings lead, with Wagg securing the fourth batting point with another flowing drive against Vince shortly before the lunch interval. In the penultimate over, Wallace was also dropped at long-leg by Wood as the Glamorgan captain pulled a short ball from Griffith, but two balls later Wagg was caught behind for 33.

With Graham Wagg having departed to the final ball of the morning session, John Glover joined Mark Wallace when the post-lunch session began with Glamorgan on 355/7 and both batsmen began with fours as Glover clipped David Griffiths to square-leg before Wallace steered Chris Wood through the gully. Three balls later the Glamorgan captain pulled Wood for four before hoisting the last ball of the over to deep fine-leg for another four.

Wallace maintained the tempo by harpooning Griffiths to mid-wicket before Glover swatted Wood to the vacant ropes at third man, but with the total on 385 Wallace was bowled driving at Wood. With Dean Cosker as his new partner, Glover steered Griffiths to third man for three fours in an over as Glamorgan secured a fifth and final batting point for the first time in the season as the 400 came up in the 102nd over

Glover then square-cut Wood for four before Cosker jauntily off-drove Liam Dawson for four and a pair of massive sixes as the ninth wicket pair continued their merry spree. Cosker secured another four as he hoisted Dawson to square-leg before cutting the next ball through backward point. But next ball Cosker chipped the ball to Jimmy Adams at mid-on as Glamorgan lost their ninth wicket on 458.

Glover then unfurled a scorching cover drive against Briggs before Michael Hogan lofted Dawson straight for four. Glover then completed his fifty from 70 balls before Hogan deposited Briggs into the Pavilion Enclosure shortly before MArk Wallace declared.

With 41 overs remaining in the day's allocation, Wagg and Hogan took the new ball with Michael Carberry steering the latter through the slips for four. Jimmy Adams then off-drove Wagg for four, but in the final over before the interval Cosker snared Adams at short-leg as Hampshire went to the interval on 20/1.

With Jimmy Adams departing in the final over before tea, it was Liam Dawson who joined Michael Carberry at the start of the final session as Dean Cosker and Michael Hogan resumed the bowling. Carberry savagely cut Cosker for four through backward point before sweeping the spinner for another four.

Dawson also found the ropes at mid-on on two occasions against Cosker before Carberry twice off-drove the spinner for another boundary as Hampshire reached 50 in the 17th over. Carberry then steered John Glover through the gully before Dawson on-drove and off-drove the seamer for further boundaries.

Carberry greeted the introduction of Marcus North into the attack by cover driving the Australian en route to fifty from 94 balls as the opener continued to frustrate the visiting attack. He added further to his boundary tally by steering North through backward point before straight-driving Cosker for four. But on 62 he top-edged a pull against Wagg and Chris Cooke completed the catch at deep square-leg with Hampshire on 102/2.

Chris Wood duly came in as night-watchman as the third wicket pair played out the remaining overs.