Billy Root hits 99 not out as Glamorgan win at Worcestershire

On Wednesday he was their match-winner with another vital knock after Colin Ingram’s hundred on Tuesday had laid the foundations in pursuit of a 332 target.

Root struck 11 fours in his 172-ball innings to seal Glamorgan’s fourth Championship win of the season, with the previous three – against Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Sussex – having all also involved successful run-chases.

Recovery

This latest triumph represented a splendid recovery after the visitors were bowled out for 139 in their first innings, conceding a lead of 132, and kept them well in the hunt for promotion.

For Worcestershire, however, it was a severe blow to their own hopes of finishing in the top two as a way of compensating for a dismal Vitality Blast campaign.

The game was perfectly poised heading into the final day with Glamorgan needing 100 runs and Worcestershire five wickets for victory on a pitch still offering encouragement to the seamers.

The second new ball was also immediately available with Joe Leach, who had taken a career-best six for 44 in the first innings, and Charlie Morris sharing the attack.

Root resumed on 46 and he brought up a 99-ball half-century with the first of two cover drives for four in a Leach over.

There were still the occasional balls climbing off a length and one such delivery flew past the outside edge of nightwatchman James Harris.

He had survived 38 balls before driving at Leach and edging through to keeper Gareth Roderick.

Good touch

Tom Cullen immediately looked in good touch and produced the shot of the day with a drive back down the ground off Leach to the boundary.

Root looked in little trouble, although on 74 he was relieved to inside-edge a delivery from Dillon Pennington just past his leg stump.

Spin was introduced via Josh Baker and Root used his feet to loft him back down the ground and reduce the target needed below 40.

But then Tom Fell – a concussion replacement for Taylor Cornall – produced a superb one-handed catch at third slip to dismiss Cullen after Leach returned to the attack.

Michael Neser survived a one-handed caught and bowled chance on two after Ed Barnard came into the attack in a last throw of the dice from the home side.

But Root and Neser, who finished unbeaten on 26, saw Glamorgan over the line with few further alarms.