Bracey blast boosts Glos before Kellaway leads Glamorgan fightback
James Bracey's 133 is more than twice the next best score in the first two days of the game
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Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (day two)
Gloucestershire 380 (121.1 overs): Bracey 133, Akhter 58, Bancroft 50; Van der Gugten 4-61, Crane 4-89
Glamorgan 228-4 (69 overs): Kellaway 55*, Ingram 52*, Northeast 48; Bailey 2-45
Glamorgan 3 pts, Gloucestershire 3 pts
James Bracey's superb 133 steered Gloucestershire to a respectable 380 all out with Glamorgan reaching 228-4 after a stuttering start.
The home side needed a century stand from Ben Kellaway (55 not out) and Colin Ingram (52 not out) to restore their fortunes after slipping to 121-4.
It produced another evenly-contested day, mostly played at the medium tempo enforced by the use of the Kookaburra ball.
Archie Bailey, who turned 20 on the eve of the match, claimed two wickets after supporting Bracey's dominating knock in a last wicket stand of 89 for the visitors.
Timm van der Gugten and Mason Crane finished with four wickets apiece.
- Published31 January
Gloucestershire resumed on 279-7 but quickly lost Todd Murphy without scoring and Ajeet Singh Dale for two, as Van der Gugten twice found the edge.
Bracey farmed the strike effectively and punished the odd bad ball with the second batting point coming up in the 104th over, while Archie Bailey finally got his first Championship runs in his fifth match and third innings to earn a few cheers.
Bracey was dropped at deep mid-wicket on 87 off Van der Gugten, and that proved costly as he moved to a third century of the season.
Glamorgan's frustration grew as fielders moved in and out, Bailey (19 not out) increased in confidence, and Bracey laid about him hitting 13 fours and four sixes, before lofting Crane to long-off.
The economical Ajeet Singh Dale made the first visitors' breakthrough in scorching afternoon heat as Zain Ul Hassan hooked to fine leg on nine, while Asa Tribe looked in good shape for 35 before edging Bailey to Bracey.
Bailey then induced Kiran Carlson (14) to flick to fine leg, while Sam Northeast (48) seemed on the way to a big score before left-arm spinner Graeme van Buuren got one through his defences to nudge one bail off to the batter's bewilderment.
At 121-4, Glamorgan had work to do as the ball went soft, after some self-inflicted damage.
Ingram and Kellaway applied themselves studiously in the evening session, despite the dual distractions of hundreds of swooping gulls, and the distant strains of Oasis sound-checking at the nearby Principality Stadium.
Kellaway reached his half-century off 83 balls with seven fours, while Ingram passed the landmark off 103 balls in the final over, but Glamorgan were content to see out the day without too much aggression against some tidy bowling.
Gloucestershire's James Bracey told BBC Bristol Sport:
"I've just got to stay in rhythm and keep contributing with the bat, making the most of favourable conditions this morning, and it's good to be in a vein of form still.
"It was a really crucial partnership to get us up to 380, we needed that or a few more, and it was good fun batting with Archie.
"I was guiding him through it and he seemed to enjoy it, his batting's come on so much and the extra 90 runs or whatever come in really handy.
"When the ball goes soft, (the game) becomes a bit slow but that's where you've got to be creative and use your spinners to full effect. Both teams have bowled well so far, hence the slower pace."
Glamorgan's Timm van der Gugten told BBC Sport Wales:
"We're pretty happy with how the day ended though they got a few too many when they batted, we probably dropped a few chances and let a few run-outs go.
"The way Kellers and Colin batted at the end swung it back into a good day at the end.
"I'm not a massive fan of the Kookaburra ball though I get where they're coming from in introducing them. They play very differently here than they do in Australia though I guess it creates opportunities for different types of bowling.
"Everyone's in the mix (for promotion), but we're pretty happy with how we've been playing after the first three games. We weren't at our best at times at Leicester but it feels like we've clicked back into it again this week."