County Championship: Glamorgan and Yorkshire draw rain-affected game

Kiran Carlson finished 88 not out on his 23rd birthday

A rain-affected game between Glamorgan and Yorkshire ended in a draw after the visitors tried to force a late win.

A fine unbeaten 88 from Kiran Carlson on his 23rd birthday ended Yorkshire's slim chance of victory.

It looked unlikely that any play would be possible after heavy rain all morning, but a few dry hours and a big effort from the ground staff gave Yorkshire a glimmer of hope.

They took just one wicket in 13 overs before agreeing the draw.

Play started at 16:15 BST with 28 overs to bowl, leaving the visitors needing to take the seven required wickets quickly - and they got a good start when Ben Coad removed David Lloyd in the fourth over, unable to add to his overnight 40.

But Carlson's impressive run of form continued and he brought up a fluent half-century off just 46 balls.

The young batsman has now passed 50 six times so far in this County Championship campaign, with two centuries.

The bowlers failed to make any further inroads before the teams shook hands on the draw- the result that was most likely in a game that had more than two days' worth of play lost to bad weather.

The result means that Yorkshire go top of Group Three, five points ahead of Lancashire but having played one more game.

As England captain Joe Root returns to national duties, Yorkshire's next game after a week off is the Roses battle in Manchester starting on Thursday, 27 May, while Glamorgan travel to face struggling Kent on Thursday, 20 May.

Glamorgan coach Matthew Maynard told BBC Sport Wales:

"We're really disappointed that the weather has curtailed this game, and the game before, but it was great to see an enterprising innings from Kiran again, adding another 40-odd runs to his overnight score.

"We feel like we're playing some decent cricket, but we did let them off the hook from having them 111-8 and dropping a catch that cost us a hundred runs.

"But I'm delighted with how we're playing, we've got to find a slightly better way of playing if we get inserted on a pitch that is like this.

"The ground staff are preparing the wickets the same every time, but obviously the moisture that was around before the game made it a bowl-first wicket and so it was quite tricky, but we have to find a way to adapt."

Yorkshire coach Andrew Gale told BBC Radio Leeds:

"it was one that got away really, at (effectively) 27 for three this morning I felt it was a game that was there to be won though I'm sure Glamorgan would have fought back, but we were in the box seat and it's been a frustrating week in Wales.

"We've spoken about batting well in the first innings and putting a price on your wicket, (but) we have two guys caught on the fence and one at square leg. They're soft dismissals and we've got to improve that if we want to be seriously challenging for trophies in this format.

"I thought it was a master-class from Joe Root, the way he played on a pitch like that. He didn't take take any risks and that's a foil for how I want the rest of the lads to bat on difficult pitches.

"It's been great to have Joe around, I wish him well in the Test matches against New Zealand but his presence on and off the field has been brilliant for us."