Mark Stoneman makes ton as Middlesex dominate Glamorgan

A brilliant hundred from Mark Stoneman put Middlesex in command of their Vitality County Championship Division Two fixture against Glamorgan in Cardiff.

Having resumed on 62 without loss, Middlesex reached 303 for six at the close, 120 runs in front of Glamorgan on first innings.

Stoneman and Sam Robson looked comfortable against the Glamorgan attack in the first hour of the day’s play and Stoneman reached fifty from 76 balls.

Pull shot

Robson was starting to find some fluency on 28 but attempted a pull shot off James Harris and looped a catch to Marnus Labuschagne at mid-wicket, ending the opening stand at 97.

Stoneman was undefeated on 99 at lunch having taken the score to 170 for one with Max Holden and reached his first century of the 2024 season off the second ball after the break.

The stand of 74 between Stoneman and Holden was then broken in the same over when the latter gloved a ball down the leg side to wicketkeeper Chris Cooke off Jamie McIlroy.

Leus du Plooy played some lovely shots during his brief stay at the crease but he fell in similar fashion to Robson as a short ball from Harris appeared to surprise him and he managed to edge the ball on to his stumps for 15.

Untroubled

Stoneman continued to look untroubled but his wicket did come for 129 when he played a slog sweep off Kiran Carlson that came off the toe of his bat and he was easily caught at mid-on by Andy Gorvin.

A heavy rain shower meant that tea was taken slightly early but when play resumed Ryan Higgins reached another half century as his run tally for the season passed 500.

Ethan Bamber was unfortunate to be run out before the close via a drive from Higgins that McIlroy got his finger tips to before it smashed into the stumps at the non-strikers end.