Glamorgan earn draw with second highest Championship score in their history

Glamorgan piled up a vast total of 737, the highest second innings score made in England, and the second highest total made by the county, to save their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Sussex.

Michael Neser became the third century maker of the innings, following Marnus Labuschagne and Kiran Carlson, as Glamorgan turned a first innings deficit of 358-run into a lead of 379 against the weakened hosts. Any doubt about the outcome of the match had long gone by the time the players shook hands.

At the start of the final day’s play at the 1st Central County Ground the contest was finely balanced, with Glamorgan – on 499 for five – leading by 141, with captain Carlson 187 not out and Chris Cooke unbeaten on 12.

Carlson achieved his career best score when he reached 192, but he did not add to it. In the seventh over of the morning he drove at Ari Karvelas and gave the bowler a simple return catch. His innings was impressive and, despite giving tough chances at three and 21, he faced 278 balls and hit 18 fours and two sixes as he reshaped the match.

Handicapped

Sussex bowled too many four balls to maintain the pressure on Glamorgan’s lower order. In mitigation, though, they were handicapped by the absence of the injured Ollie Robinson, who was seen on the ground on crutches and wearing a protective boot prior to the scan on his sore left ankle on Monday.

The pitch also remained in good condition, even though the occasional delivery kept low. However, Sussex chose not to take the new ball when it was available at 160 overs just before lunch, preferring to toss the old ball to part-time leg-spinner Steve Smith.

Another part-time spinner, James Coles, was given the new ball but at lunch Glamorgan were 603 for seven and the game already looked destined to end in a draw.

Sussex were being led by their vice- captain Tom Alsop, with captain Cheteshwar Pujara off the field with a stiff neck.

The hosts’ interest in winning the match received another fillip at 573 when they took the seventh Glamorgan wicket, Cooke hitting a leg-stump half-volley from Tom Haines straight to Ali Orr at midwicket.

Shortly afterwards, Glamorgan reached their highest second innings score, beating the 577 for four they made against Gloucestershire at Newport in 1939, a match in which Wally Hammond made 302.

The visitors lost their eighth wicket at 623 when Timm van der Gugten hooked at a short delivery from the impressive Karvelas and edged it to Oli Carter behind the stumps.

However, all-rounder Neser, vying for a place in Australia’s Test team, scored his first century in Glamorgan colours when he smashed a delivery from compatriot Smith out of the ground for six.

Sussex finally took the ninth wicket when James Harris pulled a long hop from Smith to deep midwicket, where substitute fielder Sean Hunt jumped up to palm the ball in the air and went over the rope but stepped back inside it to complete an impressive catch.

After that last man Jamie McIlroy had time to complete a career best 11 not out.

A late tea was taken with Glamorgan 730 for nine and, finally, Smith ended the innings when he bowled Neser for 123.