Cosker and Wagg reduce Worcestershire to 232/9 at Cardiff

The Sunday newspapers may have been full of doom and gloom after Cardiff City's relegation yesterday from the Premier League, but there is still plenty of cheerful talk about promotion in the Welsh capital as Glamorgan's unbeaten Championship side go into action against Worcestershire, with the contest at the SWALEC Stadium against the current leaders of Division Two.


On the eve of the contest, both teams had signed players on loan - Tom Helm by Glamorgan from Middlesex and Alex Hales by Worcestershire from Nottinghamshire - and each were in action this morning as Glamorgan won the toss and invited the visitors to bat first. Indeed, Helm took the new ball at the Cathedral Road End, whilst Graham Wagg, the leading bowler in Division Two, operated at the River End and the left-armer soon added to his tally of wickets in 2014 as Matt Pardoe edged to third slip where Gareth Rees took a fine catch diving low to his left which also gave Wagg his 100th first-class wicket for Glamorgan.


3/1 in the third over saw Tom Kohler-Cadmore join Daryl Mitchell and he got off the mark with a deft glance to long-leg. Mitchell opened his account with two drives through the covers - the second of which sped away to the ropes - before Kohler-Cadmore emulated his captain by despatching Helm through extra cover. Will Owen and Jim Allenby then entered the attack, with the latter claiming the second wicket in his second over as he pinned Kohler-Cadmore leg before with the total on 33.


His departure saw Hales arrive in the middle, and the England Twenty20 star got off the mark with a push to cover before off-driving Allenby for four, whilst Mitchell, who was advancing out of his crease some distance, also drilled Owen to long-off before Hales followed suit as Worcestershire crept to the half-century mark in the 23^rd over. Hales celebrated by despatching the next ball to long-off.


Wagg then switched to the Cathedral Road End whilst Dean Cosker had a brief trundle at the River End, and with the total on 57, Wagg made a further incision as Hales miscuing a drive with the ball being safely pouched by Murray Goodwin at point as Glamorgan secured their first bowling point shortly before lunch

Resuming after lunch on 73/3, Worcestershire lost a wicket in the first over of the afternoon session without a run having been added as Alexei Kervezee drilled a ball from the canny Dean Cosker straight into the hands of Jacques Rudolph who was positioned at mid-on. Ross Whiteley duly joined Daryl Mitchell who responded with a pair of drives to mid-wicket against Jim Allenby. The all-rounder responded by seeing Whiteley edge just short of second slip, but Mitchell then greeted the return of Graham Wagg by crisply on-driving him for four.


Worcestershire slipped to 99/5 as Whiteley who had previously cover driven Cosker for four, was undone by the guile of the clever spinner as four balls later he had his stumps re-arranged. His departure saw Ben Cox join his captain who continued to play watchfully against the frugal Glamorgan attack. Cox struck a pair of off-side fours against Wagg and Cosker before Will Owen returned at the Cathedral Road End.


Cox off-drove Owen for four but in the 57^th over he departed leg before to the canny Cosker as the batsman attempted a sweep shot against the evergreen left-arm spinner. With Mitchell joined by Gareth Andrew there remained little on offer for the visiting batsmen as they were made to work hard for their runs, with Mitchell eventually reaching his half-century after over three and three-quarter hours at the crease as he pushed his 179^th delivery, bowled by Owen, into the covers for two.

Worcestershire began the post-tea session on 136/6 with Graham Wagg returning to the attack alongside Tom Helm, who had delivered a lively new ball spell earlier in the day. The duly combined to end Gareth Andrew's subdued innings as Helm at backward point took a good catch diving low to pouch a miscued drive to leave Worcestershire on 143/7.


Jack Shantry duly arrived in the middle and after a cover drive and a thick edge to third man he almost under-edged a ball from Wagg into Wallace's gloves as he unfurled another flamboyant drive outside off-stump. Dean Cosker then returned to the fray and was flicked through mid-wicket by Daryl Mitchell who then was nearly involved in a mix-up in calling with Shantry which saw both men in the middle of the wicket before returning safely to their ends.


Jim Allenby also returned at the Cathedral Road End before Jacques Rudolph's leg-spin had an airing with Mitchell clipping the Springbok to mid-wicket before the new ball was taken with Wagg back in action together with the guileful Cosker. Shantry edged Wagg to third man before twice in an over almost being bowled by Cosker's tantalising spin.


Will Owen then returned in a bid to break the eighth wicket stand but Mitchell continued his quiet accumulation as he brought up the fifty stand with a nudge into the leg-side. But the breakthrough came next over as after Shantry had cover-driven Wagg to bring up the 200, he edged into Wallace's gloves.


With Saeed Ajmal as his new partner, Mitchell continued his sober defiance by cover driving Helm to the ropes before drilling Allenby to long-off. Ajmal also lofted Cosker straight for four in the closing overs before Mitchell completed his century, after over six hours at the crease, by lifting Allenby over the head of mid-on. In the penultimate over of the day, and the visitor's on 231, Cosker claimed his fourth wicket as Ajmal edges to first slip before Wagg - in spin mode - delivered the final over of the day.