Kabir derails Leicestershire's campaign

Kabir Ali took three wickets to help knock Leicestershire out of the Royal London Cup. Bowled out for just 184, Leicestershire slipped out of the top four in Group B with an eight-wicket defeat and victory for Derbyshire.

Press Association21-Aug-2014
ScorecardKabir Ali took three wickets as Leicestershire were bowled out well below par•Getty ImagesKabir Ali took three wickets to help knock Leicestershire out of the Royal London Cup. Bowled out for just 184, Leicestershire slipped out of the top four in Group B with an eight-wicket defeat and victory for Derbyshire.A win for Leicestershire guaranteed them a place in the quarter-finals but they were never really in the hunt to do so. Having elected to bat, they were hurt by losing their last seven wickets for 59 runs in 90 balls to slip from 125 for 3 in the 29th over to 184 all out inside 44.By contrast Tom Smith and Luis Reece shared 97 to notch Lancashire’s best 50-over opening stand of the summer and they never looked back as Karl Brown also finished just one short of his own 50. It meant Lancashire, who were without a win in the 50-over competition, warmed up for Saturday’s NatWest T20 Finals Day by winning with 20 overs to spare.Defeat left Leicestershire hoping that both Northamptonshire and Derbyshire would lose but Derbyshire’s victory over Gloucestershire ended their slender hopes.Kabir led the way for Lancashire upon his return from just over three weeks out with a right shoulder injury, taking 3 for 26 from nine overs with one wicket in his first five over spell and two in his second. Scholarship seamer Tom Bailey and experienced all-round duo Tom Smith and Steven Croft all added two wickets apiece.Only two Foxes players made it beyond 24. Opener Josh Cobb, also returning from a three-week injury lay off, hit 58 off 77 balls and Dan Redfern added 43 off 52 from number five in the order. The Foxes were a long way under par on a ground where 320 plus was scored by Yorkshire and Hampshire at the start of the competition.Thanks in the main to Cobb, who pulled the only six of the innings over deep midwicket off Smith, they had built a decent platform at 91 for 2 ahead of the 20th over. But with the introduction of spin duo Croft and Stephen Parry, they lost three wickets in 16 overs for the addition of 59 runs, going 76 balls without a boundary between the 20th and 33rd overs.Lancashire were able to start their innings seven overs before tea and reached 33 without loss. Smith and Reece brought up their 50 partnership in nine overs, with Smith clubbing Charlie Shreck over long-on for six. He later hit James Sykes’ left-arm spin over for cover for his second six on the way to 50 off 45 balls but perished caught at long-on to the same bowler.Reece brought up his first half-century of the campaign in first-team cricket in the 22nd over by hammering Sykes for a straight four, but he fell in the next for 54 off 61 balls after he tried to slog sweep Jigar Naik’s offspin and was caught at deep midwicket with 133 on the board.Karl Brown finished with 49 not out off 53 in an unbroken third-wicket stand of 52 inside eight overs with his captain Paul Horton. Lancashire’s victory helped lift them off the bottom of the table in place of Hampshire.After the defeat, Leicestershire coach Ben Smith said: “Unfortunately tonight, whether it was the pressure of the big game or the ability of the players, we fell short.”The two guys that got themselves in and got themselves out are at fault really as the players who got out at the wrong time. Because we lost wickets at intervals, we were never really in a position to kick on. That’s what really hurt us.”

دي ماريا يسخر من تصريحات فان جال ضد تتويج الأرجنتين بمونديال قطر

سخر أنخيل دي ماريا، لاعب فريق بنفيكا ومنتخب الأرجنتين، من التصريحات المثيرة التي أدلى بها المدير الفني السابق لمنتخب هولندا، لويس فان جال، ضد راقصي التانجو.

كان فان جال قد صرح، أمس، بأن فوز منتخب الأرجنتين بقيادة ليونيل ميسي ببطولة كأس العالم قطر 2022 كان “متعمدًا”.

وودع منتخب هولندا منافسات مونديال قطر على يد الأرجنتين، من دور ربع النهائي، بفضل ركلات الترجيح في مباراة مثيرة ومحتدمة.

وأثارت تصريحات فان جال سخرية أنخيل دي ماريا، نجم منتخب الأرجنتين، والذي استعان برموز تعبيرية توحي بالضحك الشديد خلال تعليقه على ما قيل من قِبل الهولندي.

وشارك دي ماريا في منافسات كأس العالم، النسخة المذكورة، حيث لعب 5 مباريات وسجل هدفًا وصنع هدفين.

الجدير بالذكر أن أنخيل دي ماريا سبق له اللعب تحت قيادة لويس فان جال، عندما كانا في صفوف مانشستر يونايتد.

Vet player agents properly – Mudgal report

A much more stringent approach towards accrediting player agents is one of several recommendations the IPL probe committee, headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal, has made in an exhaustive report on corruption in the league, which it submitted to the Supreme Court on Monday. While the committee had no mandate to punish offenders, it offered a list of suggestions to the BCCI to clean up Indian cricket.As part of the report’s ten recommendations, the committee urged the BCCI to be more ‘proactive,’ rather than ‘reactive,’ in its approach to dealing with corruption. It also advised that the players should not be employed in their franchise’s group companies, the governance structure should be more inclusive, that there should be interactive sessions between players and former cricket stars, and that the anti-corruption code should be made available in local languages. These measures, the committee said, “may make the game of cricket a cleaner game so as to eliminate the evil of spot and match fixing.”In the immediate aftermath of the corruption scandal exposed by the Delhi and Mumbai Police during the 2013 IPL, the BCCI announced operation clean-up. It was decided that players would need to declare their agents and get them accredited. However, months later, the exercise had not yet commenced.The Mudgal committee took note of the delay and suggested that one way of vetting agents was to make them take eligibility tests. “Before registering player agents there should be an examination of the agents to confirm their understanding of the rules and regulations of BCCI and IPL,” the report said. “Besides this the antecedents of the player agent should also be verified so that dubious elements of society with links to bookies or the underworld are not given a registration as a player agent.”One of the bookies arrested by Delhi Police in their raids last year was Jiju Janardhan, a long-time friend of Sreesanth. Janardhan allegedly posed as Sreesanth’s agent and stayed with the player in the Rajasthan Royals team hotel. To prevent bookies from getting close to players, the committee recommended that agents not be allowed to travel with the team and stay in team hotels, “especially when it is in proximity to the date of a match being played by a player who the agent represents.”The committee was also against a player having an ownership stake in a company that managed other players. Last year, India captain MS Dhoni found his name dragged into a conflict-of-interest debate after it was found that he had ownership stake for a short period in Rhiti Sports Management Private Limited, which manages other Indian players Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja.”Players should not be allowed to own any stakes or interests in player agencies or companies involved with cricket unless such interests are in the nature of sponsorship or endorsements. Such interests should be declared by the player or his agent to the BCCI, within 15 days of such interest accruing. In particular employment of the players in the franchise group companies should be avoided,” the report said. Incidentally Dhoni, who is on the Indian Cements corporate board, is one of the few players who is employed by his IPL franchise.The committee was also critical of having a “foreign instructor” from the ICC’s ACSU imparting player education, and was in favour of retired senior officials from the Indian army or police conducting “more interactive meetings in a local language,” which would be understood by players easily.”The BCCI need not spend enormous sums of money on ICC deputed anti-corruption instructors, and reputed retired armed forces and police officers from India should be asked to do it after due training and sensitisation in Indian languages,” the report said.The committee also wanted the BCCI to appoint a dedicated “investigative wing” with autonomous powers. “The investigative wing of the BCCI, should be clearly defined and no person holding office in the BCCI, should have the power to curtail, restrict or define any such investigation,” the report said.

Raza, Irshad bowl UBL to victory

Thirty-three wickets fell in two days at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad, and it was United Bank Limited’s bowlers that had the better of the contest to set up a seven-wicket victory against Pakistan Television.United Bank won the toss and their bowlers vindicated the decision to put Pakistan Television in by routing them for 150. Mohammad Irshad took 4 for 47 while Tariq Haroon and Atif Maqbool took three wickets each. PTV’s No. 8 Yasim Murtaza, who made 42, was their top scorer.Despite that collapse, PTV looked like taking the lead at one stage, when they had United Bank at 114 for 7 in their first innings. The No. 11 Maqbool, however, scored 24 to give his team a valuable 35-run lead. Rizwan Akbar claimed 6 for 67 for United Bank, while Mohammad Ali took 4 for 68.Irshad and Asif Raza did a demolition job on PTV in their second innings, taking five wickets each to dismiss them for 64 in 21.5 overs. They had wiped out the deficit for the loss of only one wicket but then lost 9 for 37.United Bank had a target of 30 to win and they lost three wickets before they got there.

'Good chance for WI to move up on Test rankings' – Gayle

Chris Gayle has said that the forthcoming Test series against India is important for West Indies as they try to move up the ICC Test rankings

Renaldo Matadeen29-Oct-2013Chris Gayle said that the forthcoming Test series against India would be vital for West Indies as they try to move up the ICC Test rankings. West Indies, who are currently ranked sixth among Test-playing nations, arrived in India on Monday for two Tests and three ODIs against India and are scheduled to tour New Zealand in December for three Tests, five ODIs and two T20Is.”The big occasion for West Indies is a chance to gain points to move to No. 5 on the ICC rankings,” Gayle said. “That’s our mission. I personally have never made a hundred versus India so I will be looking to rectify that, given my IPL experience also. But you can’t discount their talent in players like Sachin [Tendulkar], MS Dhoni and so many more. A few of us are familiar with venues like Kolkata and Mumbai, which host the Tests, and these conditions and pitches usually stay the same.”Apart from IPL helping their players familiarise with Indian conditions, Gayle said the experience that cricketers like Kieran Powell and Kirk Edwards gained on the West Indies A tour would be crucial.Gayle was excited about Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell series and said the West Indies side could “spoil the fun and parade”. Tendulkar announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this month and will play his 200th and last match for India in the second Test in Mumbai.”Sachin’s a legend and we wish him a great farewell and we want him to walk away happily, but not victorious,” Gayle joked. “That Test in Mumbai will be fantastic. The atmosphere will be great as they always have a lively crowd. Indian crowds always come out to support cricket and with Sachin, it’s going to be even bigger. The West Indies will put on a good show but we’re eyeing the series so we may be spoiling the fun and the parade.”Since his last Test against Zimbabwe in March this year, Gayle has played in the IPL and led Jamaica Tallawahs to victory in the inaugural Caribbean Premier League, apart from playing for West Indies in the Champions Trophy, a one-day tri-series with India and Sri Lanka and a limited-overs series against Pakistan. He took a break from competitive cricket but is looking forward to the new season and potentially a “turning point” in his career.”I’m really looking forward to the Tests because I haven’t played one in a while,” Gayle said. “It’s always tough in India, no matter the format, and this is crucial to test ourselves against top-five opposition. It will be difficult to beat India at home for sure.”We want to start the first Test with a bang and we know what’s required to win in India. I hope this series will be a turning point in my career as I get back to the red-ball as opposed to the short-format white ball. India are looking to consolidate their Test spot in the rankings so it will be a very engaging contest,” he concluded.

Bangladesh World T20 venues make progress

The construction work of stadiums in Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar for next year’s World Twenty20 will be completed by mid-October, said BCB president Nazmul Hassan.

Mohammad Isam16-Aug-2013

The under-construction grandstand at Sylhet Stadium, which will house the players’ pavilion and corporate boxes•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The construction work of stadiums in Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar for next year’s World Twenty20 will be completed by mid-October, said BCB president Nazmul Hassan. The expected finishing time is likely to exceed the ICC’s September 30 deadline but an inspection team from the governing body is likely to see enough evidence of progress buy the BCB the extra 15 days.The ICC team arrives in Dhaka on Friday, and will visit both cities as well as the two alternative venues in Fatullah and BKSP, Bangladesh’s largest sports institute.”I have no doubt that the construction work will end by mid-October,” Hassan said. “We will finish the alternative venues [in Fatullah and BKSP] by September. So I don’t think there will be too many difficulties, but it is unlikely to be finished by September 30.”A visit by ESPNcricinfo earlier this week showed the Sylhet stadium has made significant progress since work began in June. The structure of two floors of the four-storey pavilion building has been completed. Located on the northern end of the ground, the building is directly linked to the main entrance from the airport road.On the opposite side, the interiors of the media structure are being refurbished, and work has gone on at a rapid pace there as well. A hill, on the north-west part of the ground, is being carved to be at the same level as the one-tiered galleries on either side. It is being called the green gallery, and will be a grass bank on top of the hill.Around 400 workers have been employed for the project, with the contractors being strictly told to work around the clock by the country’s finance minister AMA Muhith, whose hometown is Sylhet. He has visited the ground a number of times since work started, and has directed all authorities to cooperate with the BCB and National Sports Council, the custodian of all sporting venues in the country.The cricket committee of Sylhet’s Divisional Sports Association has also helped in the project, although they have no direct authority of the stadium or the construction work. They are acting as a conduit in various ways, like making sure each of the two roads and walkways are built around the ground.Shafiul Alam, the committee’s chairman, was hopeful that the stadium will be completed on time for the World T20 which begins on March 16 next year, and the inspection team that arrives in Sylhet on August 20, will see a lot more than what they saw in June.”Work has progressed significantly over the last two months,” he said. “When it first started, I couldn’t imagine that it would come to this stage. Now there is the grandstand, the media centre and the green gallery that will be completed. The floodlight towers are almost done too. At this rate, all of this will be done in time. When the inspection team comes next week, I am quite sure they will be surprised by the progress.”The people of Sylhet are very interested to see this ground being completed,” Shafiul added. “Hundreds visit the stadium everyday just to have a glimpse of the progress. So it has to be finished in time. It has become a matter of our region’s pride.”ESPNcricinfo understands that BCB’s initial aim of hosting at least one match of the New Zealand series in October in Sylhet has been shelved, but it is likely to be ready for the Sri Lanka series in January as an audition for the World T20.Down south in Cox’s Bazar, the boundary wall at the newly-built cricket ground by the beach has been put up while the playing surfaces and the outfield have already been prepared. The only work pending is on the prefabricated pavilions and other facilities.The inspection team will be in Bangladesh two months after their last assessment in which they held concerns over the completion of the Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar venues. It prompted the BCB, the National Sports Council and the related ministries into quick action as they used a large number of workers in both venues to hasten the developments.Among the two alternate venues, the Fatullah Stadium has seen its drainage facility upgraded. It was constructed a decade ago for the 2004 Under-19 World Cup, and has also hosted Tests and ODIs. The other back-up venue is at the BKSP, where its main cricket ground hosted matches of last year’s Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

Northern neighbours buoyed by weekend success

Match facts

Tuesday, April 23
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)

Big Picture

Whether it was the inspiration of meeting Sir Viv Richards, or the abysmal bowling from Mumbai Indians or Virender Sehwag and Mahela Jayawardene finally playing the way they are expected to, Delhi Daredevils finally ended their winless streak at eight (including the losses in the playoffs last season). Chances of reaching the playoffs still remain remote, but at least they have got their campaign off the ground.They made a big call ahead of the match against Mumbai on Sunday, dropping their best bowler from the previous season, Morne Morkel. His replacement Andre Russell, however, continues to leak runs at an alarming rate – his economy-rate of 9.95 is the third worst in the IPL, behind only the forgotten P Amarnath and his Daredevils team-mate Sehwag. Daredevils have struggled to settle on their four overseas players this season, and will have to tinker again against Kings XI Punjab.Their opponents may have pulled off the joint highest chase of the season against Pune Warriors on Sunday, but have some major team changes to make. Two of their regulars, Adam Gilchrist and Azhar Mahmood, have fared poorly in recent matches and both are on the brink of losing their places. They might get another shot, as coach Darren Lehmann has ruled out Shaun Marsh for the match. Marsh, who joined the squad recently, has not played any cricket after recovering from a surgery and Lehmann stated that he would be considered for selection only after he regained full fitness and participated in fielding drills.What will be a huge lift for Kings XI is that their team – generally regarded to have one of the most fragile batting line-ups in the tournament – managed to overhaul a stiff 185 against Warriors, even without needing the services of David Hussey. David Miller and Hussey have performed well for the side and the win against Warriors has lifted them to mid-table, above heavyweights like Mumbai and Kolkata Knight Riders.

Form Guide

Delhi Daredevils WLLLL (most recent first)
Kings XI Punjab WLWLL

Players to watch

One of the most valuable performers for Kings XI last season, Azhar Mahmood has had a patchy IPL 2013. In five innings, he has scored just 35 runs at an average of 7 and was out for a duck in a big chase yesterday. His bowling has been inconsistent too. Although he is the leading wicket-taker for Kings XI, he has conceded runs at crucial stages, including the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. As a senior player in the side, Mahmood will need to contribute more.The match against Mumbai Indians was the first time David Warner had not opened in an IPL game. With Daredevils having a difficult time this season, he has been shifted out of his favourite spot at the top of the order. Jayawardene has said he wants Warner to become a finisher, “to play the role that Kevin [Pietersen] played last year”. Can Warner adapt to his new role?

Stats and trivia

  • Sehwag has scored 2028 runs in the IPL at a strike-rate of 165.41, the best strike-rate among batsmen who have scored at least 100 IPL runs
  • David Hussey needs 55 more to become the third batsman to reach 5000 Twenty20 runs
  • Miller had an outstanding season in England’s Friends Life t20 in 2012 – scoring at a strike-rate of 153 and an average of 48.75

Quotes

“I am definitely under scrutiny, I have not scored runs. The drop catch was a really bad let off and it could have cost us the game. Not good enough for me. When we sit down at the selection table, we will have to look at that and see what’s right.”
“He is a star for the future. He has a good mind, wants to do well and I am really happy for him.”

قائمة برشلونة لمباراة ريال مايوركا في الدوري الإسباني.. تواصل غياب بيدري وأروخو

أعلن تشافي هيرنانديز، المدير الفني لفريق برشلونة، عن قائمة اللاعبين لمباراة ريال مايوركا، ضمن الجولة 37 من الدوري الإسباني موسم 2022/2023.

قائمة برشلونة شهدت تواجد 21 لاعبًا، في مقدمتهم سيرجيو بوسكيتس وجوردي ألبا، ثنائي الفريق اللذان سيرحلان بنهاية الموسم.

المباراة ستكون الأخيرة بملعب كامب نو، الذي سيغلق حتى العام المقبل، للتعديلات والتحسينات في المدرجات والعشب.

طالع أيضًا.. تشافي يوضح موقف برشلونة من التعاقد مع بديل ألبا ويثير الغموض حول مستقبل فاتي

وكان برشلونة قد حسم لقب الدوري الإسباني رسميًا، منذ أسبوعين عندما فاز على إسبانيول في ديربي كتاولونيا، قبل الخسارة من بلد الوليد.

وتواصل غياب الثنائي بيدري وأروخو عن قائمة البلوجرانا، بسبب الإصابة التي يعاني الأوروجوياني منها، وعدم اكتمال تعافي الإسباني. قائمة برشلونة لمباراة ريال مايوركا في الدوري الإسباني

حراسة المرمى: مارك أندريه تير شتيجن، إيناكي بينيا، أرناو تيناس.

خط الدفاع: كريستنسن، ماركوس ألونسو، جوردي ألبا، إريك جارسيا، جوليس كوندي، أليخاندرو بالدي.

وسط الملعب: سيرجيو بوسكيتس، جافي، بابلو توريه، فرينكي دي يونج، سيرجي روبيرتو، فرانك كيسيه.

الهجوم: ليفاندوفسكي، ديمبلي، فيران توريس، أنسو فاتي، رافينها.

Unbeaten Australia hold edge

A day after India and Pakistan met to decide who would finish last in the tournament, another traditional rivalry, between Australia and England, will kick off the Super Six stage. Brabourne Stadium is miles away from Lord’s or the SCG, but as England allrounder Arran Brindle put it, regardless of the venue, “a game against Australia means a huge amount to both teams.”While most of the spotlight was on Group A, which had the defending champions England, hosts India, exciting West Indies and surprise package Sri Lanka, Australia quietly racked up three wins out of three in Group B in Cuttack. They are the only side to have carried the maximum possible four points into the Super Six stage. If anything, they have only upped their level over the past week, as have England following the shock last-ball defeat to Sri Lanka. In Australia’s final group game, against New Zealand, they chased down 228 with more than 11 overs and seven wickets to spare.”I think we have actually been able to improve over those three games,” Lisa Sthalekar, the Australia allrounder, said. “The first two games [v Pakistan and v South Africa] were against an opposition we weren’t familiar with. We were faced with some difficult situations but we were able to get through and then the last game against the Kiwis we finally came out with the type of game we wanted to play in this tournament.”That was in Cuttack, though, on the eastern part of India. On the western seafront in Mumbai, Sthalekar said conditions were different. “In Cuttack there wasn’t a lot of turn. The wicket was two-paced and had variable bounce, especially the game against South Africa. The wicket that we played against New Zealand was truer and that reflected in the scores.”Here, what we had been able to see over the televised matches and in our warm-ups, there’s a bit of turn that excites me as a spinner. The fast outfield and the warm-ups that we played here have given us a good insight as to what the wicket will hold.”England have played two of their three group games at Brabourne Stadium and Sthalekar admitted that gave them a slight advantage. “They have played three more matches to get an idea of the pitch and the conditions. It depends on what wicket you were on and how many times that has been played. But I still feel that our match – the warm-up – was a good enough preparation. We just trained out there which is similar conditions so the girls are getting a good grip and understanding of the wicket. They might have a slight advantage but we are coming here fresh as well, so they might be a bit over the scenery.”Brindle said England now knew the lines and lengths they needed to bowl at Brabourne Stadium and felt the surprise loss to Sri Lanka in their opening game had been an early wake-up call. “As soon as you lose a game in any competition it makes you re-evaluate and fine-tune every part,” Brindle said. “We have done that in the last two games. We are looking to carry that into the Super Six. I think you sometimes learn more in defeat than you do when you go on winning every game.”We have played the last few games with the pressure of having had to win those games. If we perform like we have had, we’ll be a tough side to beat.”England are yet to beat Australia in an ODI at a neutral venue, following 13 defeats and a tie. The previous time the two sides met on neutral territory, in October 2012 in Colombo, Australia won the Women’s World Twenty20 final by four runs.

Chris Cooke's maiden double-hundred leads Glamorgan to mammoth total

Glamorgan rack up their third-highest first-class score on soporific Oval surface

ECB Reporters Network22-Sep-2021Chris Cooke led from the front with a relentless captain’s innings of 205 not out as Glamorgan spent day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship second division match against Surrey constructing a mammoth total of 672 for 6 declared, the home side responding with 45 for no wicket in the final hour.It was the first double-hundred of 35-year-old Cooke’s 12-year first-class career, beating a previous best of 171 scored seven years ago, and also the highest individual innings by a Glamorgan wicketkeeper, eclipsing Eifion Jones’ unbeaten 146 against Sussex at Hove in 1968.Cooke was joined by Dan Douthwaite in a 51-over sixth wicket stand of 189, and that followed a slightly more urgent partnership of 140 in 37 overs with Kiran Carlson, who was on 45 overnight and reached 69 before being quite brilliantly caught by a diving Dan Moriarty at square leg as he swept hard at Will Jacks’ offbreak.Douthwaite was eventually caught at long-on by Jacks soon after tea, for a curiously restrained 146-ball 59 that contained only two fours, giving offspinner Amar Virdi a hard-won third wicket.Related

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On a soporific surface showing little sign of predicted turn, Glamorgan resumed on 379 for 4 and accumulated ruthlessly, if perhaps over-cautiously, in warm sunshine before declaring at what is the third highest first-class total in the Welsh county’s history. The highest remains 718 for 3 declared, against Sussex at Colwyn Bay in 2000, while their highest score against Surrey is still the 702 for 8 declared made at the Oval in 2009.The declaration, greeted by some ironic cheers, left Surrey 15 overs to bat before stumps, and openers Jamie Smith and Ryan Patel reached 23 and 22 not out respectively, although Smith could have been stumped on 13 in offspinner Andrew Salter’s first over if Cooke had gathered the ball cleanly behind the stumps.Cooke, who began the day on 44, batted for five minutes short of six hours, facing 299 balls and hitting a six and 18 fours. Five of his previous six Championship innings were single-figure scores but – strong particularly through square cover – Cooke looked largely untroubled throughout and closed Glamorgan’s 177-over batting marathon five minutes after he reached his double-century by slicing slow left-armer Moriarty just over mid-off for two, attempting on 199 to go past 200 in the grand manner.It was his eighth first-class score of 100 or more and, as Surrey manfully and quite successfully kept as tight a control as they could on Glamorgan’s scoring rate, Cooke added an unbeaten 54 for the seventh wicket with Callum Taylor, who swept Jacks for six and also in the same over cover drove and cut him for fours in a breezy 57-ball 38 not out.Glamorgan scored 87 in 34 overs before lunch, hitting just two boundaries in a turgid opening session, and then 145 in 32 overs between lunch and tea. It was unspectacular stuff though overall, especially given a flat pitch and summer-like conditions, but Cooke will argue the ends justify the means if Glamorgan can put Surrey under scoreboard pressure during the last two days of this second division match.

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