Glos and Glamorgan struggle as 17 wickets fall in day

Timm van der Gugten (left) claimed his second five-wicket haul in three Championship matches

Vitality County Championship Division Two, Cheltenham (day one)

Gloucestershire 179: De Lange 46*, Singh Dale 32; Van der Gugten 5-59

Glamorgan: 133-7: Carlson 37; Webster 3-16

Gloucestershire 2 pts, Glamorgan 3 pts

Match scorecard

Rival bowlers Timm van der Gugten and Beau Webster claimed the limelight on a day of batting struggles at Cheltenham.

Glamorgan limped to 133-7, still 46 behind Gloucestershire, with Webster taking 3-16.

Earlier Van der Gugten took 5-59 as the home side scrambled to 179 all out.

Their total owed much to a last-wicket stand of 75 between top scorer Marchant de Lange (46 not out) and Ajeet Singh-Dale.

Sam Northeast’s decision to bowl looked to have paid off on a chilly first day of the Cheltenham Festival as eight wickets fell in the first session.

Van der Gugten found the edge of Cameron Bancroft’s bat second ball to set the tone under cloudy skies, claiming two for nine in his first seven hostile overs.

Dan Douthwaite had the benefit of two dismissals caught behind down leg side among five victims for Chris Cooke, and Andy Gorvin bowled James Bracey off his thigh-pad.

Miles Hammond (21) and the aggressive Webster threatened a mini rival but Van der Gugten returned to dismiss both after a stand of 36.

Marnus Labuschagne also claimed a rare seam bowling wicket to leave the home side 88-8 at lunch, and Van der Gugten claimed his fifth soon after.

De Lange, the scorer of Glamorgan’s fastest century, struck his second ball for six and soon had the field scattered to the boundaries as he and Singh-Dale put together a record last-wicket stand.

De Lange’s 46 came off just 37 balls and Singh-Dale also hit the ball hard but played sensibly as the pair had Glamorgan scratching their heads, before he eventually holed out off Mason Crane for 32.

Glamorgan struggled with the bat in turn, as Eddie Byrom was caught mis-hooking Matt Taylor for 12.

In the evening session, Australia star Labuschagne holed out to deep square leg off Zaman Akhter for 19 followed quickly by Billy Root.

Three more Bracey catches saw Webster get rid of Northeast (19), Cooke second ball and Douthwaite for two.

Kiran Carlson looked relatively untroubled in the gloom on his way to 37 before De Lange (2-21) had him caught hooking to fine-leg to complete a fine day for the burly South African.

Gloucestershire’s Marchant de Lange told BBC Bristol Sport:

“It was an interesting start, it’s very difficult to judge as on day one of the festival you’re never sure what the wicket will produce and I guess it’s entertaining viewing.

“Batting at number 10, there’s not a lot of pressure, I’ve got a one-dimensional way of playing and I try to maximise it, with a bit of positive intent.

“The wicket’s sometimes a bit two-paced but you get that on festival (outground) wickets around the country. Hopefully we can take the three poles and put a bit of pressure back on them.”

Glamorgan’s Timm van der Gugten told BBC Sport Wales:

“This is my third game here. First game, there were 23 wickets on the first day, last game it was one of the flattest wickets I’ve played on, so this is in-between.

“There’s been good bowling from both sides, it’s hard to score on and a bit two-paced with the overhead conditions helping a bit of swing.

“I am happy with the way the ball’s coming out, but it makes it easier when we’re bowling well as a collective.”