Ingram and Tribe put Glamorgan in driving seat against Gloucs
A fine knock by Glamorgan's Colin Ingram was finally ended by Matt Taylor for 84
- Published
Vitality County Championship Division Two, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (day two)
Glamorgan: 283-4 (65.2 overs): Ingram 84, Tribe 70; M Taylor 3-43
Gloucestershire: Yet to bat
Glamorgan 1 pt, Gloucestershire 1 pt
A sparkling 84 from veteran Colin Ingram and a promising 70 from new opener Asa Tribe led the way for Glamorgan as they reached 283-4 against Gloucestershire on day two in Cardiff.
They shared a second-wicket stand of 129 to take Glamorgan to 198-1 at one stage.
But seamer Matt Taylor pegged them back with a three-wicket burst in the battle of the white-ball champions.
Chris Cooke and Sam Northeast restored home advantage with a stand of 73 as showers disrupted the last session.
Despite more heavy overnight rain, the Cardiff groundstaff managed to get play under way only 90 minutes late, and earlier than anywhere else on the circuit.
But the visitors could not make the most of winning the toss as Championship debutant Will Smale and 20-year-old Tribe played with adventure and rode their luck.
Smale, dropped by wicket-keeper James Bracey off Matt Taylor on 17, hit eight boundaries in his 41 before edging Tom Price to brother Ollie at slip.
The older Price could also have dismissed Tribe, who nearly played on to his first ball, and had Ingram dropped at slip on 13, as Gloucestershire had no luck with a series of near-misses.
Ingram drove beautifully in his half-century off 53 balls, while Jersey’s Tribe took exactly twice as long in a composed knock. Tribe followed up his maiden 50 last time out against Yorkshire, before launching an assault on spinner Zafar Gohar who bowled a marathon, mostly tidy spell.
In his first Championship game since the two teams’ dramatic tie at Cheltenham, Taylor pinned him lbw just after tea, but it was an innings suggesting Tribe could be an answer to a problem position for Glamorgan.
Taylor followed up by forcing Ingram to play on and having Kiran Carlson caught behind for one, taking 3-1 in the space of 13 balls.
The Shire’s progress was then halted by the experienced pair of Cooke, driving powerfully, and Northeast, prolific away from home but struggling in the Championship at home, before a heavy shower with the sun out produced a double rainbow and the close.
Glamorgan’s Colin Ingram told BBC Sport Wales:
“We felt the wicket would probably nip around and it did a bit early, but we got the day going eventually, our plan was to play positively and to try to move the game forward.
“It was very encouraging seeing the young openers doing so well, playing positively in the opening spell, and they showed good signs for the future. I enjoyed the 100-plus partnership with Asa and getting to know his game.
“This week I've been tinkering with my grip with a view to next season because I felt it was slipping, there is always something to work on.
“You never know when it's your last day out there and I'm trying to enjoy my batting and making the most of my time in the sun. One of these days I will have to hang up my boots and these days won't be around.”
Gloucestershire’s Matt Taylor told BBC Bristol Sport:
“It was a fairly tough day and a long day with the rain delays, but I’m glad we could get a few rewards in the end. It’s been a while (since bowling in the Championship) with the way the T20s have panned out, but I’m excited to get back out there and really pleased to get some rhythm.
“With the conditions we thought the pitch might do a bit and it did to be fair, we didn’t quite hit our straps at times but when we did, we got something out of it.
“We’ve got quite a young group of bowlers, but there’s so much potential, the guys are learning and improving all the time, so over the next couple of years we can see the rewards.”