Glamorgan Cricket: Colin Ingram targets new contract

Colin Ingram will miss the latter stages of Glamorgan's season because he is to play in the Caribbean Premier League

Glamorgan's South African batter Colin Ingram says he wants to remain with the county in 2023 after a successful return to Championship cricket.

Ingram, 37, is in the final season of his three-year deal with Glamorgan.

He has hit centuries in Glamorgan's last two Championship wins after four seasons of concentrating almost exclusively on limited-overs cricket.

"Hopefully I'll be back here next year and for years to come," he told BBC Sport Wales.

Ingram looks set to miss the final five weeks of the 2022 UK season after signing to play in the Caribbean Premier League for Guyana Amazon Warriors.

He is continuing some of his globe-trotting in domestic T20 and T10 leagues around the world, but thanks to a knee operation he is now confident of withstanding the longer form of the game as well.

"I see myself playing for years to come," he added.

"It's been great to play four-day cricket again and see how well my body and fitness has been, that's given me a lot of confidence to go forward. I'll play until I've had enough and I certainly haven't had enough."

Ingram made 87 in the opening match of Glamorgan's season, a draw with Durham, before being replaced by Australian star Marnus Labuschagne.

He has since hit 178 in the first innings of the victory over Sussex and a crucial 102 in the second-innings run chase against Worcestershire to help Glamorgan into third place in Division Two.

They are 12 points behind Middlesex in the second promotion slot with six games to play.

Glamorgan face divisional leaders Nottinghamshire at Sophia Gardens on Monday 11 July, hoping for a repeat for their win at Trent Bridge in April.

"We've had two hard-fought wins and just to be part of that has been great. I've enjoyed some time in the middle and found some good rhythm. I've found a few things I missed in the first part of my career so I'm trying to hold onto those," said Ingram.

"Notts are a big side and top of the table, we've got a lot of confidence after the last couple of weeks and the wins we've had, so it's another fresh start.

"Promotion is huge for any club, it would be a massive achievement but we can't start thinking about those things yet, we'll just attack the next four days against a good side."

Pace bowler Timm van der Gugten is back in contention after a two-month absence, while wicket-keeper/batter Chris Cooke is also fit to face Nottinghamshire, who are without key batsman Ben Duckett on England Lions duty.

Also missing are Tom Moores (illness) and James Pattinson (paternity leave), with Sol Budinger, Matthew Montgomery, Joey Evison, Calvison Harrison and Brett Hutton all included in the squad.

Meanwhile Ingram is hoping to feature in Glamorgan's defence of the One-Day Cup, with the county only losing seamer Michael Hogan to the Hundred franchise competition which runs at the same time.

"I'd love to be involved in the One-Day Cup, I'll be around for most of that period and it's probably my favourite format. Coming off last year and how much that trophy meant to the club, everyone has a really positive look towards that," he said.

But Glamorgan may have to recruit overseas replacements for September if they remain in contention for Championship promotion and the 50-overs competition, with Ingram in the Caribbean, and Labuschagne and Michael Neser preparing for a new Australian season with Queensland.

They will also have to work out how to get full value from their overseas players in 2023, when Australia have an Ashes tour to England.

Neser is under contract to Glamorgan for a third season while Labuschagne has also opened talks over a return.

Glamorgan (from): Lloyd (c), Byrom, Ingram, Northeast, Carlson, Root, C Cooke, Cullen, Neser, Salter, Harris, van der Gugten, Hogan, Sisodiya.

Nottinghamshire (from): Slater, Hameed, Budinger, Clarke, James, Mullaney, Montgomery, Evison, Harrison, Patterson-White, Hutton, Fletcher, Paterson.