Tag Glamorgan County Cricket Club

Leicestershire ended the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship season in the driving seat in Cardiff, after dismissing hosts Glamorgan for 229 midway through the evening session.

Visiting captain Peter Hanscomb won the toss and elected to field in cloudy conditions, after a wet start in the Welsh capital.

Seamer Ian Holland made an early breakthough as Zain ul Hassan edged to Hanscomb at third slip, before Chris Cooke struck a beautiful half century to continue his fine record against the Foxes. Contributions from Eddie Byrom, Colin Ingram, Kiran Carlson and England spinner Shoaib Bashir dug the home side out of trouble, before Rehan Ahmed took his first scalp of the season to remove Bashir to end the home sides first innings.

Holland, now replacing the injured Rishi Patel, who suffered a dislocation to his thumb in the morning session, at the top of the Foxes order, went cheaply as he edged a brilliant Timm van der Gugten delivery to Cooke in the fifth over. Sol Budinger and Ben Mike then built a partnership to leave the visitors on 65/1 at the close, some 164 runs behind.

Glamorgan’s van der Gugten, Andy Gorvin, ul Hassan and Bashir all have a vital part to play on a deck suited to their bowling. Another exciting days play in prospect.

England spinner Shoaib Bashir and Sri Lankan quick Asitha Fernando are both poised to make their Glamorgan debuts in the season opener against Leicestershire in Cardiff.

Bashir has signed on a short team deal from Somerset as injury cover for Mason Crane, while Fernando is set to feature in the opening 7 rounds of the newly-named Rothesay County Championship. Both players are expected to make an immediate impact, as the Sophia Gardens based outfit look to challenge for promotion under new Head Coach, Richard Dawson.

Dawson has named a strong 13-player squad to face the visitors from Grace Road: Sam Northeast (#16 – Captain), Kiran Carlson (#5), Billy Root (#7), Ben Kellaway (#8), Andy Gorvin (#11), Ned Leonard (#22), Zain ul Hassan (#27), Shoaib Bashir (#29), Colin Ingram (#41), Chris Cooke (#46), Timm van der Gugten (#64), Aistha Fernando (#78), Eddie Byrom (#97).

The hosts will be looking to build on strong pre-season performances with the bat from Northeast, Carlson, Ingram and the talented youngster Kellaway in the recent fixture against Cardiff UCCE, when Kellaway shone for the visitors along with teammate Asa Tribe, who misses out on selection for the squad this week.

Leicestershire are led by the exceptional Australian Peter Handscomb, and have made some strong acquisitions over the winter with Dutchman Logan van Beek and Ben Green arriving to bolster their squad.

The pitch will as usual, play an important part in team selection, ahead of the toss at 10:30, and with the forecast set for dry and sunny conditions over the coming four days, this could well be a mouthwatering encounter that will excite the fans of both counties.