Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg in form for Glamorgan
Sunday 12 April 2015 20:19, UK
Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg scored centuries as Glamorgan made a bright start to their LV= County Championship Division Two campaign at Leicestershire.
The Foxes finished tailed-off bottom of the division last season, and their opening day effort with the ball could well be a precursor to another season of struggles.
Rudolph made 111 and Bragg remained unbeaten on 113 when rain at Grace Road brought an early end to play on the opening day of the domestic campaign.
Rudolph lost opening partner James Kettleborough for 10 with the score on 27, but he and Bragg went on to pile up 227 runs for the second wicket.
By the time he became the second victim for Atif Sheikh, Glamorgan had reached 254 and made Rudolph’s decision to bat first look a superb one.
Sheikh claimed figures of 2-80 but he also took plenty of punishment, as he only bowled 13 overs and went for more than a run-a-ball.
Plenty of that was down to Bragg, who like Rudolph hit 15 fours, and he will have a chance to add to his runs when play restarts on Monday – he is currently batting with import Colin Ingram, who scored 14 before the rain arrived.
Northamptonshire batsman Adam Rossington narrowly missed out on an early century as the hosts put up 333 in their first innings against Gloucestershire at the County Ground.
Rossington made 95 off only 98 balls, continuing the form he showed at the end of 2014, before becoming one of six victims for seam bowler Craig Miles.
Miles claimed a career-best 6-63, while there were also three wickets for all-rounder Kieran Noema-Barnett, who was making his county debut.
Northants were in trouble when winter signing Josh Cobb was caught behind by Miles for a duck, one of six catches for wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick, but they were rescued by Rossington and David Willey.
The big-hitting all-rounder, who was on England's radar before an injury-plagued 2014 campaign, hit 62 off only 57 balls, with eight fours and a pair of sixes before being caught behind off Noema-Barnett, an import from New Zealand.
Will Tavare and Chris Dent safely made it through 6.3 overs before stumps, with Gloucestershire reaching 18-0.
