Glamorgan promotion hopes fade as Yorkshire batters dominate in Cardiff

Glamorgan’s slim promotion hopes were further diminished as Yorkshire’s batters dominated the opening day of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash at Sophia Gardens.

After defeat at Worcester last week, the Welsh county have to win their penultimate match with a full set of bonus points and hope that other results go their way if they are to remain in the promotion picture.

But that looks unlikely after Yorkshire closed on 330 for three with captain Shan Masood unbeaten on 113 and Finlay Bean hitting 11 fours on his way to 93 on a slow pitch that offered little assistance for the bowling side. George Hill, with an unbeaten 51, and opener Adam Lyth (49) were also amongst the runs.

The White Rose county, who beat Derbyshire at Scarborough last time out, are aiming for a second successive victory as they look to climb off the bottom of the table.

The two sides drew at Headingley in May, with Yorkshire clinging on at nine down to frustrate Glamorgan.

Lyth hit 174 in that second innings, and, after a delayed start in Cardiff due to rain, he put on 98 for the opening wicket with Bean after Yorkshire won the toss and elected to bat first.

Bean survived an lbw appeal from James Harris on 21, but there were few other scares for the visiting side as they made fairly rapid progress in the curtailed first session to walk off at lunch on 86 without loss after 22 overs, with Lyth on 45 and Bean 37.

It was a seventh successive half-century stand for the opening pair in Division Two, but the partnership did not last long after the interval.

Jamie McIlroy was unsuccessful in his appeal for lbw against Lyth in the first over after lunch, but he soon made the breakthrough as Lyth chopped on.

Yorkshire did not let that unfortunate dismissal disrupt their flow as Masood joined Bean in the middle and the skipper picked up the baton from Lyth in fine style as he raced to his half-century in just 58 balls.

Sedate

Bean proceeded in a slightly more sedate fashion. He brought up the 200 in the 45th over and progressed to 88 from 117 balls as Yorkshire cruised to 217 for one at tea.

The 21-year-old was denied a century as he was caught at slip by Colin Ingram off the bowling of Glamorgan captain Kiran Carlson on 93 in the third over after tea, ending a stand of 127 with Masood.

James Wharton came and went quickly, trapped lbw for three as McIlroy earned Glamorgan their first bowling point, but Hill played a fine supporting role as Masood closed in on his first century for Yorkshire.

The pair secured a first batting point at 253 for three in the 59th over, before Masood made it to three figures off 132 balls in the 69th over.

And Hill completed his half-century off 76 balls just before 6pm, having danced down the pitch to attack Carlson’s bowling on several occasions, to cap a satisfying day for the visiting side.