Glamorgan lead Derbyshire by 224 runs

There is nothing quite like a little bit of local knowledge, and the sages of the SWALEC Stadium were ruminating last night as to whether Glamorgan's first innings total of 282 was above or below par. Those in the "glass half-full" camp pointed to previous games at Glamorgan's headquarters where the seamers and spinners have found assistance in the early exchanges, before the wicket has eased in character on days three and four.

Those in the "glass half-empty" group pointed to the presence of Indian Cheteshwar Pujara in the Peakites line-up, with 26 first-class hundreds to his name plus the small matter of a career-best of 352. But both groups agreed that the way the new ball nipped around after tea yesterday as Derbyshire snuffed out Glamorgan's resistance has meant that this morning's session - starting at 10.30 a.m. and after overnight mist - will be a very important, with events subsequently proving that the wise old heads in the half-full camp may have been correct in their assessments

Michael Hogan and Graham Wagg, who shared the new ball, were eager to make early inroads as Ben Slater and Billy Godleman resumed on 8/0. The latter duly square-drove Wagg's third delivery through point for four as became the thirteenth batsman in the contest to strike a boundary. But the bowler gained revenge next over as he trapped the left-hander l.b.w. with a full length delivery. 16/1 saw captain Wayne Madsen join Slater who clipped Hogan to square-leg for his second four before being beaten on the outside edge by Wagg who delivered a probing spell at the Cathedral Road End.

Jim Allenby then entered the attack at the River End and also found the edge of Madsen's bat, with the ball looping in the air over the head of Dean Cosker in the gully. Slater then clipped Wagg to square-leg before Madsen edged another drive, this time just in front of gully. But later in the over, Slater was less fortunate as he edged a sharply rising ball from Wagg to Cosker, with Pujara making his way to the crease with his side on 45/2.

Madsen brought up the fifty by straight-driving Wagg followed by a graceful cover drive by Pujara against Allenby. Hogan then returned at the Cathedral Road End but it was Allenby who claimed the next wicket - and an important one at that - as Pujara departed l.b.w. with the total on 58. Wes Durston opened his account with a cover drive for four against Hogan, who bowled with better rhythm having switched ends, and duly got the reward as Madsen became another l.b.w. victim. Derbyshire's slide continued as 68/4 became 78/5 as Durston also departed leg before to Allenby

The visitors began the afternoon session on 86/5 and it might well have been 86/6 had a sharp stumping chance been completed in the penultimate over before the interval. It was no surprise therefore to see Dean Cosker resume with Graham Wagg as Glamorgan looked to polish off Derbyshire's resistance. The batsmen though decided that attack was the best form of defence as Gareth Cross launched Cosker over wide long-on for six before clubbing him straight for four, whilst Alex Hughes drove him straight and pulled him to mid-wicket for successive boundaries.

Cross also cover drove Wagg for four before Hughes nurdled him to third man, but Hogan returned and trapped Cross l.b.w. with the total on 127. Wayne White then used the long handle as Kieran Bull entered the attack driving him through mid-off and mid-on for four as well as launching him over long-on for a massive six. David Wainwright nearly edged Allenby to Wallace but next over he tamely chipped Bull to Cosker at short extra-cover, and then next ball Tony Palladino pulled the teenager to short fine-leg to put the nineteen year-old on the verge of breaking Jeff Jones Club record of being the youngest-ever bowler to claim a hat-trick for Glamorgan having taken three in three against Yorkshire at Harrogate in 1962 at the age of twenty.

Mark Footitt calmly stroked the next delivery through the covers for four, before after a single, White harpooned the young spinner into the stands for successive sixes. Footitt then struck successive fours against Allenby before Wagg also replaced Bull with both batsmen using the long handle with some rustic blows as well as surviving a couple of run out chances, one of which saw Footitt prone on the ground and bat outstretched after tripping himself up trying to regain his ground.

Another rasping straight drive by White against Allenby nearly struck Footitt backing up and umpire Nigel Llong, but Footitt regained his composure and next over flayed Wagg to long-on and mid-wicket for four as Derbyshire secured a batting point. Next over though White skied Allenby to Wagg at mid-off as the jaunty tenth wicket stand ended.

There were 44 overs remaining in the day's quota when Will Bragg and Jacques Rudolph began Glamorgan's second innings with their side leading by 79 runs. Both batsmen off-drove the ball for four in Mark Footitt's opening over, before Rudolph added two more through the gully and third slip in Tony Palladino's first over.

Rudolph found the ropes again as he clipped Footitt through mid-wicket, before Bragg struck Palladino twice in the space of three balls through point for four. Rudolph then brought up the fifty stand by clipping Wayne White to the boundary boards at square-leg, but eleven runs later, White had an l.b.w. appeal upheld against the Springbok.

This was the first of three wickets to tumble in quick succession as 61/1 immediately became 61/2 as Gareth Rees departed in identical fashion to White's next delivery, before Chris Cooke survived the hat-trick ball. But next over it became 63/3 as Bragg edged a ball from Alex Hughes into Gareth Cross' gloves.

With Jim Allenby as his new partner, Chris Cooke cover drove White for four before nearly before caught at second slip as he sparred at a ball from Hughes. Allenby opened his account with a trio of flowing cover drives, each bisecting the gap with almost geometric precision between cover and mid-off, before late cutting Tony Palladino to the vacant third man position. Cooke did the same when David Wainwright entered the attack as the 100 came up in the 30^th over.

Shortly afterwards, the off-spin of Wes Durston was also introduced and Allenby despatched the first two balls through mid-off and cover for further fours as the lead approached the 200-mark. Cooke also deftly late-cut Wainwright for four before Allenby greeted the return of Hughes by pulling him for four before Cheteshwar Pujara's leg-spin was briefly introduced. Cooke greeted him by despatching a full toss through extra cover for four, followed by a rasping pull for four when White returned next over.

The change did the trick as Allenby edged a delivery into the wicket-keeper's gloves and with Glamorgan on 138/4 and five overs remaining, night-watchman Dean Cosker joined Cooke out in the middle. But in his next over White struck again as he bowled Cooke for 36, with David Lloyd duly joining Cosker to see Glamorgan through to the close.