Bancroft leads way as Glos in control against Glam

Cameron Bancroft played the most recent of his 10 Tests for Australia in 2019

Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol (day one)

Gloucestershire 368-3 (96 overs): Bancroft 163, O Price 101; Leonard 2-91

Glamorgan: Yet to bat

Gloucestershire 3 pts, Glamorgan 1 pt

Match scorecard

Australia's Cameron Bancroft started the season with a bang with an imperial 163 to lead Gloucestershire's remorseless progress to 368-3 after they were put in by Glamorgan.

Ollie Price weighed in with 101 as the pair shared a second-wicket stand of 230.

In his first game as Gloucestershire captain, Bancroft hit 19 fours and two sixes.

It was a day of suffering the sun for the Glamorgan attack, with Ned Leonard and Shoaib Bashir the only wicket-takers.

Bancroft was quickly into his stride from the start as he timed his off-side shots beautifully in an opening stand of 62 with Ben Charlesworth, who was well caught low down by Chris Cooke off Leonard for 19 driving at a wide delivery.

Leonard and Asitha Fernando were suffering from no-ball problems at the Ashley Down Road end, and added to their own woes when Bancroft was dropped from a difficult chance to Cooke off Zain Ul Hassan on 48.

Despite Timm van der Gugten and Ul Hassan keeping things tight, Gloucestershire were sitting pretty at 100-1 at lunch, and even prettier at tea as they added 125 further runs without loss in the afternoon.

With Price playing a watchful support role, the classy Bancroft dominated proceedings with a run-out chance on 73 his only scare as Glamorgan switched bowlers and fields with increasing frustration.

Price accelerated in the final session, with successive fours bringing up his century off 220 balls with 15 boundaries.

But with the stand just 26 short of the Shire's all-time record, on-loan England spinner Shoaib Bashir claimed his first wicket for Glamorgan as he won an lbw shout against Price just before the new ball.

The expansive Miles Hammond (37 not out) started strongly and Bancroft picked off anything loose to add to Glamorgan's dejection in another significant stand of 74.

The willing but misfiring Leonard kept over-stepping, but finally forced the weary Bancroft to edge to Cooke in the 94th over as a minor consolation for the visitors, who were left ruing the decision to bowl.

Gloucestershire's Ollie Price told BBC Radio Bristol:

"We probably would have bowled as well because it looked as if it would be the best time to bowl on that wicket, so we're buzzing to have got through the day with only three wickets down.

"Ben and 'Bangers' (Bancroft) got us off to a great start, it was awesome to build that partnership and we really made them have a tough day in the dirt.

"Cameron's continuing the same impact as when he wasn't captain, he's such a high-class operator, straight off the plane and into the runs.

"It was great fun batting with him because he's so clinical, he was driving so cleanly. It's going to be a challenge taking 20 wickets, but it's one we're ready for."

Glamorgan coach Richard Dawson told BBC Sport Wales:

"It was a tough day, but the bowlers stuck to it really well, you get the most out of the pitch early on day one in Bristol so we chose to bowl and we did create chances.

"It dried out and got a bit flatter, but Zain bowled exceptionally well and could have picked up a couple, and Ned created chances.

"One of the main things (for Glamorgan) is to take the scoreboard out of the equation and bat as if it was day one because there are runs to be made out there."