Cosker takes 5/46 as Gloucestershire make 230/9

Rain hats and umbrellas were more commonplace than brightly decorated outfits and bonnets at Easter parades across South Wales yesterday as bands of heavy rain dampened the festivities. The downpours also meant that just ninety minutes of play was possible yesterday at an overcast and blustery SWALEC Stadium, as the visiting bowlers capitalised on the leaden skies and dank conditions to reduce Glamorgan to 47/6.

The meteorological conditions were very different when play resumed this morning, under much clearer skies and far brighter light, as Graham Wagg survived the hat-trick delivery from David Payne who yesterday had removed Murray Goodwin and Mark Wallace in consecutive deliveries, before the Glamorgan all-rounder took centre-stage with a feisty fifty.

A booming off-drive by Wagg against Payne brought up the Glamorgan fifty before Jim Allenby despatched the left-arm seamer through the covers. Will Gidman resumed in frugal mood at the Cathedral Road End and with the total on 65, he trapped Allenby leg before.

Ruaidhri Smith duly joined Wagg but their partnership proved to be a brief one as five runs later, the youngster miscued a pull at James Fuller's opening delivery and skied a catch to wicket-keeper Cameron Herring. Fuller then struck with the final ball of the over as Dean Cosker, after clipping a ball to square-leg for two, was bowled shouldering arms.

Wagg and Michael Hogan then used the long handle with the former biffing Fuller to long-on for four, following by a fierce cut through backward point. Hogan drove Gidman through mid-off for two, followed by a skewed drive through the gully for a couple more. The pair scrambled another series of singles, just as the artillery shots from Cardiff Castle celebrating the Queen's Birthday were ringing out, before loud applause from the sun-drenched crowd as a savage pull by Wagg against Fuller brought up the Glamorgan hundred.

Hogan joined in with the celebrations by swatting Fuller through the covers for four before Wagg unleashed another Zorro-like stroke as he speared Fuller to backward point. Next ball, he nonchalantly launched the seamer over long-on for six, followed by a nudge for two to bring up the fifty stand and then a rasping scythe through point for another four. Next over, he completed a 54-ball fifty with another firm on-drive.

Hogan then greeted the return of Gidman by bludgeoning him through cover and mid-on for a pair of fours, passing 1,000 runs in all first-class cricket in the process but with the total on 145 Taylor ended his merry spree as he edged to third slip.

After Michael Hogan and Graham Wagg had doubled the score in a jaunty last wicket stand before lunch, the pair were straight back in action after the interval as they took the new ball against Michael Klinger and Chris Dent, with the latter nearly departing to his first ball as he prodded Wagg just short of Murray Goodwin at point. He then on-drove Wagg for four before twice striking Hogan through the covers as well as guiding him to backward square-leg for further boundaries as the southpaw made an assertive start.

But Klinger was more circumspect and, with the total on 31, Wagg made the breakthrough as the visiting captain edged into the safe hands of Stewart Walters at second slip. His departure saw Will Tavare join Dent who continued to pepper the boundary rope as he twice despatched Allenby through the covers before Hogan switched to the River End and was cover driven by Tavare. The nephew of former England batsman Chris also played and missed a few times outside off stump, but he greeted the return of Wagg by drilling him through mid-off and mid-wicket for further boundaries as the second wicket pair further consolidated Gloucestershire's position.

Dent duly guided Ruaidhri Smith through the slip cordon for four before straight driving the youngster to reach his half-century from 67 balls besides bringing up the Gloucestershire hundred. Dean Cosker's left-arm spin was then introduced with the evergreen bowler swiftly ending Dent's innings with his seventh delivery as he edged a drive into Wallace's gloves.

102/2 saw Alex Gidman arrive at the crease and he began by cutting Smith for four. Tavare then guided Smith to third man before crisply on-driving Cosker for a further boundary, but in the next over - and with the total on 125 - Cosker struck again as Tavare miscued another drive through the legside and lobbed the ball to Hogan at wide mid-on.

With Hamish Marshall taking guard, Allenby returned to the fray but it was Cosker who struck again as he pinned Gidman major in front of his stumps, with his departure seeing his younger brother return to the middle with the West Country side on 131/4.

The West Country side resumed after tea on 138/4 and Will Gidman was swiftly into his stride as he cut Dean Cosker for four, but the spinner made the perfect riposte as he had the all-rounder superbly caught one-handed by Jim Allenby at slip. With a heavy bank of cumulus cloud building up, as forecast, to the east of the Stadium, Michael Hogan returned to the attack and he swiftly removed Cameron Herring who edged a pull into Mark Wallace's gloves as Gloucestershire slipped further to 144/6.

Hamish Marshall, who last week helped take Gloucestershire into the ascendancy over Hampshire, again took his side into the lead as he twice cover drove Hogan for four but he was nearly caught and bowled by the acrobatic Cosker as the spinner almost took a superb diving catch in his follow through. Graham Wagg also had another spell and nearly had Tom Smith caught at third slip with the ball just evading the cordon of catchers.

Marshall still showed positive intent as he twice lofted Cosker into the River Stand for six but the canny spinner lured him down the track again and had him superbly caught above his head by Stewart Walters at short extra cover as Gloucestershire lost their seventh wicket on 186 and the spinner completed the tenth "five-for" of his career.

James Fuller then swatted Ruaidhri Smith for four before edging the young tyro into Wallace's gloves. Tom Smith then secured the visitor's first batting point as he cut his namesake for four whilst David Payne launched Cosker over long-on and long-off for a pair of fours. His lusty fusillade saw Allenby and Hogan return to the attack, and the change did the trick as the latter bowled Payne with the total on 219.