Glamorgan Cricket: Captain Hogan wants 'much better' Championship year

Glamorgan captain Michael Hogan is demanding a much better Championship showing, after finishing seventh in Division Two in 2017.

Hogan is in his first full year of four-day captaincy after taking over mid-season.

"Given the boys' winter work and the progress they've made, I think there will be improvements," said Hogan.

"I'm not willing to put a number on it, but I expect it to be much better than last year."

Marsh to bat at three

Michael Hogan of Glamorgan celebrates after taking the wicket of Joseph Ludlow of Cardiff MCCU

Australian Test batsman Shaun Marsh, who had a brief spell in Wales in 2012, returns in time to bolster the youthful top-order batting in the Championship opener away to Gloucestershire on Friday 20 April.

"We see him as our number three, that's where he'll slot in for us in red-ball cricket with his experience," revealed Hogan.

"He's in good touch at the moment and he's scored Ashes hundreds now, so I'm really looking forward to him getting out there."

Long-term planning

Although Marsh replacing Jacques Rudolph is the only significant addition to the squad, coach Robert Croft points out the absence of South African big-hitter Colin Ingram from the Championship team and the enforced retirement of Will Bragg, who only played three Championship matches in 2017.

"That's two experienced players, so it is quite different, we have a strategy on how we'd like to build this team which encompasses short, medium and long term."

So is Championship promotion a realistic aim for 2018?

"We're looking at improving our players, building a cohesive unit that we believe can play together in Glamorgan colours for quite a long time, and players we believe have the character and skill levels that by the end of our process, will be a team able to achieve success."

With Nick Selman, Kiran Carlson and Aneurin Donald likely to make up the top order along with Marsh and either Connor Brown or Jack Murphy, most of the top five batsmen will be 22 or under.

Inconsistencies warning

While Glamorgan will have serious ambitions in limited-overs cricket, spear-headed by white-ball captain Ingram, Hogan accepts there will be good and bad days in the longer format.

"With our young squad, we take it one game at a time and we don't set massive targets, we know there's going to be inconsistencies in performance so Crofty and I might have to manage our frustrations at times," said the 37-year-old Australian seamer.

"But we're certainly looking for an improved year."

At least Glamorgan will have had plenty of time in the middle, with four days of action in Dubai and five at the SSE Swalec Stadium before the final day of their three-day match against Cardiff MCCU was washed out.