A watchful 68 by Marcus North plus a breezy 57 from Murray Goodwin helped Glamorgan to 256/5 before bad light ended play on the opening day of their LV=County Championship match against Leicestershire, after the visitors were put in to bat on a green-tinged wicket at an overcast Grace Road.
Ollie Freckingham and the well-travelled Anthony Ireland duly took the new ball with Ben Wright savagely cutting the latter in his opening over, However, the former struck in his third over as he trapped Will Bragg l.b.w. with the total on 15. Stewart Walters announced his arrival at the crease with a pair of sumptuous off drives against Ireland, before being dropped at first slip by Michael Thornely as he edged a drive against Freckingham.
Wright greeted the introduction of Nathan Buck into the attack by steering him for a couple of fours through backward point. Walters then on-drove Freckingham to the ropes before being dropped again, this time at second slip by Greg Smith, much to the disgust of the exasperated bowler, but Freckingham struck in his next over as Walters' quixotic innings ended as Thornely safely pouched the outside edge with Glamorgan on 39/2.
Marcus North then joined Wright and began with fours to deep backward square-leg and long-on as Glamorgan reached fifty in the 14th over as Wright unfurled another fine cover drive against Buck. North then cover drove Buck for four as Ireland replaced Freckingham at the Bennett End shortly before lunch and was off-driven by Wright.
Marcus North also deftly leg-glanced Freckingham to the ropes, but at the Pavilion End, Buck delivered a probing post-lunch spell and with Glamorgan on 98, Wright was caught behind as the home side secured their first bowling point. Murray Goodwin duly joined North and the Zimbabwean struck a boundary by guiding his fellow Zimbabwean, Ireland, to third man before pulling a long-hop to square-leg.
Shortly afterwards, the veteran drove Ireland to long-off and long-on in successive balls, before cutting Thornely for four. He then turned his attention to Freckingham and pulled the youngster to the ropes at mid-wicket, before unfurling another rasping clip to mid-wicket and a coruscating cover drive.
After plenty of watchful accumulation, North then steered Thornely to third man before Goodwin again despatched Freckingham through the covers for four. Jigar Naik's spin was then introduced at the Bennett End and North despatched a full toss to fine-leg. Goodwin then guided Buck to third man for another boundary - his tenth boundary - en route to a 56-ball fifty.
North also swept Naik to fine-leg as he reached fifty from 133 deliveries shortly before tea, but in the final over before the interval, Buck trapped Goodwin leg ebfore for 57.
After Murray Goodwin's departure to the final ball before tea, Jim Allenby joined Marcus North when play resumed and after a couple of firm drives he opened his shoulder to deposit Jigar Naik high over deep mid-wicket for six before a single by North brought up the 200 and their first batting point. In gloomy light Allenby then top-edged a pull for four against Freckingham before straight driving Ireland for four.
As the light started to improve, Allenby had a life as, on 22, he was dropped by Nathan Buck at long-leg after top-edging a pull against Ireland. Next over, the bowler gained revenge as north drove to short extra cover where Matthew Boyce held the ball diving forwards as Glamorgan lost their fifth wicket on 228.
Mark Wallace joined forces with Allenby with the new ball just five overs away, and after quietly working the ball around against Naik and Michael Thornely, the pair stoutly defended as Ollie Freckingham and Buck returned to the fray with the new ball and guided the Welsh county past 250 and a second batting point. The Glamorgan captain celebrated by steering Buck through extra cover for his first four before bad light stopped play shortly after 6pm.
Six overs were duly lost before the light improved allowing a resumption at 6.25pm, but it proved to be an all-too-brief one as after four balls, the light went again and play was ended for the day.
