Helm puts Middlesex in charge against Glamorgan
Middlesex seamer Tom Helm (left) dismissed Marnus Labuschagne at Sophia Gardens
- Published
Vitality County Championship Division Two, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (day one)
Glamorgan: 183 (72.5 overs): Ul Hassan 34; Helm 4-44
Middlesex: 62-0 (21 overs): Stoneman 43*
Middlesex (3 pts) trail Glamorgan (0 pts) by 121 runs with 10 first-innings wickets standing
Middlesex seamer Tom Helm led the way with four for 44 as Glamorgan were bowled out for just 183 after being put into bat in Cardiff.
The visitors reached 62-0 in reply to take control.
Glamorgan always struggled against an accurate Middlesex seam attack, with Ethan Bamber (2-23) providing mean support to Helm.
The home side fielded batters Marnus Labuschagne and Colin Ingram as their overseas players, but could not cash in with Zain Ul Hassan’s 34 the top score.
Australia’s Labuschagne briefly looked in fine shape on his county return as Glamorgan rattled to 44 off 10 overs, but it was just a cameo as he was caught behind driving at Helm for 23 off 31 balls.
That brought a sharp drop in the scoring rate as the ball started to move around, with no respite for the Glamorgan batters against an accurate attack which found just enough movement off the pitch and late swing.
Ryan Higgins forced Eddie Byrom, on 26, to glove a quicker ball through to Jack Davies as Glamorgan limped to 72-2 at lunch.
Bamber and Helm then blew the home innings apart with Kiran Carlson cutting to gully, Sam Northeast bowled through the gate, Chris Cooke bowled playing no shot and Ingram dragging one onto his stumps.
When Toby Roland-Jones returned to bowl James Harris, like Cooke leaving a straight one, Glamorgan were on the ropes at 103-7.
Ul Hassan (34) and Mason Crane (32 not out) showed discipline to garner a further 80 runs for the remaining three wickets to show how the top order might have fared better, but leg-spinner Luke Hollman (2-17) bowled an economical spell to finish them off.
Mark Stoneman quickly had the Middlesex innings up and running in the evening sunshine as Glamorgan’s bowlers, without Pakistani paceman Mir Hamza, were unable to make any early breakthroughs.
With Sam Robson content to potter along in his wake, Middlesex reached 50 in the 17th over and reached the close serenely with the opening stand unbroken.
Middlesex’s Tom Helm told BBC Radio London: “Personally it was the best day of the season for me, in the last two or three games I’ve been going upwards bowling-wise, and I found a better rhythm today.
“The ball swung which was nice, and that always makes my life easier. We didn’t know what to expect from the wicket, and though we didn’t start as well as we would have liked, the way we went afterwards we should be proud of ourselves.
“Labuschagne’s always a nice one to get, and I enjoy bowling here because it’s very flat at the ends and the run-ups are nice.“
Glamorgan’s Zain Ul Hassan told BBC Sport Wales: “It was definitely a tough day for the boys, but fair play to Middlesex they bowled well and didn’t give us many scoring opportunities.
“They bowled tight lines, attacked the stumps and in Cardiff if you bowl straight, you stay in the game. There was just enough movement which did the job for them.
“I should have carried on and put on a bigger partnership with Mason, I just tried to watch the ball hard and keep the scoreboard ticking over.
"I’m happy to be batting at seven (after a spell opening) and bowl a few more overs.”
