Leicestershire are dismissed for 142 at Grace Road

Yesterday, Glamorgan's batsmen had applied themselves well after the Welsh county had been invited to bat in bowler-friendly conditions. After a gritty innings by opener Ben Wright, both Marcus North and Murray Goodwin struck contrasting half-centuries with the former patiently blunting the home attack whilst the latter took full toll of some loose and short deliveries as the Welsh county ended the truncated day on 256/5

Both Jim Allenby and the in-form Mark Wallace, fresh from his back-to-back hundreds last weekend at Cardiff, were ready to further build on Glamorgan's position when play began this morning at 11am whilst the home attack, with a ball just five overs old, were hoping to make further inroads under the leaden skies. Ollie Freckingham and Nathan Buck duly resumed the bowling as the overnight batsmen accumulated at first in one's and two's until Allenby struck both bowlers square of the wicket on the offside en route to an 83-ball fifty.

He celebrated with successive fours against Buck to the boundary boards at mid-wicket and extra cover. But with the total on 278 Freckingham removed Wallace who edged to Michael Thornely at first slip. Graham Wagg began with a couple of flicks off his legs before edging Buck through the vacant third slip position. He then steered Freckingham through backward point and to long-on for further boundaries as Glamorgan reached 300 for the first time this season in their first innings in a Championship match and garnered a third batting point.

Allenby also crisply despatched Anthony Ireland for a brace of fours, with a booming off-drive also bringing up the fifty stand. Jigar Naik and Michael Thornely each returned to the attack in a bid to break the seventh wicket stand but both batsmen continued to play in an untroubled way with Allenby on-driving Thornely for four before Wagg reverse-swept Naik as they took the score to 350 in the 110th over to secure a fourth and final batting point.

Wagg celebrated by glancing Thornely to fine-leg and then square-cutting the next delivery to the ropes at point. Wagg then pulled Thornely for four as he reached his fifty from 83 balls before Allenby late cut Naik to reach his hundred from 160 balls shortly before lunch.

Having brought up the century stand in the over before lunch, Allenby greeted the return of Ollie Freckingham to the attack by steering him to the vacant third man position. Wagg then lofted Jigar Naik straight for six but two balls later he edged the spinner to slip and departed for 58 having added 117 in 31 overs for the seventh wicket with Allenby.

With John Glover as his new partner, Allenby pulled Freckingham for four as the bank of cloud dissipated and the ground was bathed in sunshine with Glamorgan reaching the 400-mark in the 121st over. Allenby added another four to his tally as he clipped buck to mid-wicket before Glover did the same, but with the total on 421 he departed leg before to Naik.

Michael Hogan was then dropped at slip as he edged a drive against Nathan Buck - another missed chance but not as expensive as the drop yesterday when Allenby had been 22. He continued to make hay after his reprieve as he on-drove Naik before pulling Buck to mid-wicket to post his Championship-best score. Hogan then drilled Naik to long-off before being bowled by Buck for 12, whereupon Mark Wallace declared with Glamorgan on 442/9 an hour before tea.

Hogan was quickly back in action, taking the new ball at the Bennett End whilst Glover operated at the Pavilion End, and Greg Smith posted the first boundary of Leicestershire's innings as he despatched Glover for four through extra cover. Later that over he also clipped the seamer to square-leg for a second boundary but he perished in the next over against Hogan and edged the Australian to first slip where Allenby pouched the catch.

16/1 became 18/2 as Glover trapped Thornely leg before as he shouldered arms, before further boundaries came the way of the home side as Ned Eckersley swatted Hogan to third man before Joe Burns did the same against Glover. But Hogan struck again in his fourth over as Eckersley clipped him into Murray Goodwin's safe hands at square-leg as the home side slipped further to 28/3.

Wagg, Allenby and Mike Reed all had short spells before the tea interval with Burns clipping the former for four to square-leg.

Graham Wagg struck with the first ball after tea as Shiv Thakor edged to Marcus North at first slip, and 41/4 became 47/5 in the next over as Joe Burns departed leg before to Michael Hogan. Josh Cobb began with a couple of flowing cover drives before Matthew Boyce cut Hogan for four.

Cobb then greeted the return of John Glover by on-driving him for four, but the youngster ended Boyce's innings as Stewart Walters completed a regulation catch at second slip as the home side nosedived to 84/6. Cobb then upper cut Mike Reed over the head of gully before steering Glover to the vacant third man position, but there was still plenty of playing and missing as the Welsh attack continued to probe away.

Cobb had a life when Goodwin dropped a chance at square-leg as the home captain miscued a pull against Glover, but it did not prove to be an expensive miss as next over Reed bowled Cobb as Leicestershire slumped further to 98/7. Ollie Freckingham then used the long handle to post a brace of fours in Reed's next over, but the procession of batsmen back to the pavilion continued as Glover struck again with the total on 119 as he bowled Jigar Naik.

Three runs later Glover had Freckingham caught at second slip by Walters before some powerful blows by Anthony Ireland took the total to 142 before Buck edged Hogan into Wallace's gloves to end Leicestershire's innings and give Glamorgan a handsome lead of 300.