Leicestershire are 133/1 at the end of a rainy day at Grace Road

A fine bowling performance by the Glamorgan seam attack had given the Welsh county a handsome lead of 300 with Michael Hogan further adding to his growing reputation on the county circuit with figures of 4/25, whilst John Glover took four wickets to take his career aggregate to the 50-mark in all first-class games.

After the outstanding efforts by his bowlers yesterday - now refreshed by a night's sleep - Mark Wallace had no hesitation in inviting Leicestershire to bat again this morning as play began at 11.35am after a brief shower had delayed the start. Following a performance which put him into fourth place in the national bowling averages with 26 wickets at just 16 runs apiece, Hogan duly shared the new ball with Glover as the visiting attack looked to make swift inroads and to possibly wrap up victory inside three days.

Greg Smith and Michael Thornely resolutely defended until the former, in the fifth over, off-drove Hogan for four. Next ball, the opener edged the Australian just short of third slip, before further edges to the next couple of deliveries which each time sent the ball speeding to the vacant third man boundary. A more convincing off-drive by Thornely against Hogan followed in the seventh over before Graham Wagg entered the attack at the Bennett End. He too found the edge of Thornely's blade with the ball bisecting third slip and gully as it also sped away to the ropes.

A pair of more assertive cuts by Smith against Glover then followed as Leicestershire reached fifty without loss with Jim Allenby replacing Glover at the Pavilion End. Smith then edged Wagg through Mark Wallace's gloves for another four, and as a large bank of cloud built up on the western side of the ground, Thornely swatted Allenby over point for four. Next over, the opener glanced the all-rounder to fine-leg and third man before edging Wagg through the slips, much to the disgust of the irate left-armer.

A torrential downpour during lunch, accompanied by thunder and lighting in the distance, prevented a prompt resumption after the interval.

It briefly stopped raining half an hour after lunch and the umpires planned to look again at 3pm, but shortly before this, the heavens opened and further delayed the resumption.

The precipitation duly eased to allow mopping up operations to take place, but shortly before the planned inspection at 4pm, the rains returned as the sheets and covers were put back on. Yet again, it proved to be a heavy, but sudden downburst, and the umpires decided to resume at 5pm with 25 overs remaining.

Play eventually resumed at 5pm after the loss of 47 overs with the two Michael's - Messrs Hogan and Reed - bowling in tandem and each beating the bat before Greg Smith cover drove Hogan for four. But with the total on 93 a full length delivery from Reed ended Michael Thornely's stay at the crease.

Another bank of cloud and rain had built up to the west of the ground and after two further deliveries, a short shower saw the loss of a couple more overs. Reed nearly claimed a second scalp as Ned Eckersley edged to second slip where Stewart Walters dropped the chance.

Smith then reached his fifty with a single to square-leg against Hogan - the 97th delivery he had faced - before John Glover returned at the Pavilion End with Graham Wagg having another trundle at the Bennett End. Smith duly pulled Wagg for four before inside-edging him just out of the grasp of wicket-keeper Mark Wallace. But by this time, the heavy cloud had built up again, and with the light deteriorating, play finished for the day at 6.20pm.