This has been a match, staged on a shirt-front wicket, where several batting milestones and records have been recorded, or as in the case of Glamorgan's Aneurin Donald in the first innings, oh so nearly achieved. From a Gloucestershire point of view, it's their 3,000th first-class match, whilst Chris Dent yesterday posted the highest score in the post-war era for the West Country side against Glamorgan, and the eleventh highest in the Club's history. Today, on the final day of the season, there were some looming milestones for Jacques Rudolph as his sober half-century last night put him within 44 runs of his 50th first-class hundred and 51 runs away from the 1,000 run barrier.
The Glamorgan captain duly resumed his innings at 10.30 this morning with his side on 88/0 and still 37 runs in arrears after Dent's career-best innings and amongst the latest double-centuries on record in an English season. James Fuller and Tom Smith resumed the bowling duties, and after a series of singles, James Kettleborough departed in the fourth over of the day, and with the total on 99, as he was pinned l.b.w. by Smith. Colin Ingram came in and despatched his first delivery for four to square-leg, whilst Rudolph, after a series of watchful singles, also opened his shoulders to drill the spinner through extra cover for his first boundary of the day.
Ingram greeted the return of David Payne at the Ashley Down End by unleashing a rasping straight drive but one run away from the arrears being wiped out, Rudolph became the second leg before victim of the morning as Payne struck in his third over of the day. 124/2 saw Donald join Ingram and the young tyro began by square-driving Payne for four, before sweeping Smith to square-leg for another boundary.
Donald continued to find the ropes as he cover drove Tom Hampton before sweeping Smith to square-leg, followed by a lofted drive over long-off for six. ot to be outdone by the teenager, Ingram also swept Smith to backward square-leg for four before straight-driving the spinner for another six. Shortly before lunch, Jack Taylor replaced Hampton whilst Benny Howell had a spell at the Pavilion End, and to the latter's first delivery, Donald clipped the ball to mid-wicket and set off for a run, but he was sent back and could not beat Hamish Marshall's arrow-like throw back to the wicket-keeper.
185/3 saw Chris Cooke join Ingram and they duly saw Glamorgan to the interval without any further alarms.
The West Country side had claimed three wickets in the morning session as Glamorgan moved into a lead of 66 runs, and resuming after the interval on 191/3, Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke were looking to occupy the crease for much of the afternoon in order to see the Welsh county to a draw. Ingram began the post-lunch session by cover driving Benny Howell whilst Cooke also steered Jack Taylor through the covers for a trio of fours.
After a series of singles, Ingram completed his fifty from 110 balls whilst Cooke found the ropes again, this time at third man, as he got a thick outside edge to a delivery from Howell. Whilst Ingram continued to accumulate mainly in singles, Cooke greeted the return of Tom Smith by despatching him through extra cover for four before lofting him over long-on and into the Pavilion for six. He then strcuk Howell for three boundaries in the space of four balls as he completed a 76-ball half-century whereupon Gloucestershire took the new ball with the visitors on 266/3 and a lead of 141 runs.
But Payne and Fuller could not made further inroads, as Cooke despatched the latter square of the wicket for four before on-driving him for three.
Glamorgan had reached 290/3 at tea, with a lead of 165 runs and with just fifty minutes playing time before a possible declaration and shaking of hands, the post-tea session saw James Fuller and Jack Taylor operate in tandem, with Ingram cover-driving the former on three occasions before Cooke lofted the latter over long-on for six. A series of singles then followed before Cooke cover-drove Taylor for another rasping four.
Cooke then clipped Tom Hampton for four to square-leg before Gloucestershire's occasional bowlers had a trundle operation as the run-filled contest quietly headed towards a draw with Cooke completing a 135-ball hundred, and Ingram a century from 220 deliveries as Glamorgan ended on 365/3dec with a lead of 240 runs.
