Miles Hammond and Cameron Bancroft give Gloucestershire control against Glamorgan

Miles Hammond and Cameron Bancroft scored brilliant hundreds to illuminate the Cheltenham Festival as Gloucestershire assumed control on day two of the County Championship Division Two match against Glamorgan.

Having been shot out for 179 on the opening day and conceded a first-innings deficit of 18 after dismissing Glamorgan for 197, the home side found themselves under pressure when Timm van der Gugten reduced them to 17 for two second time around.

Slamming the door

But Hammond and Bancroft turned the tables by staging a mammoth third-wicket stand of 201 in 36.1 overs as the pitch flattened out and overhead conditions improved, in the process slamming the door shut on Welsh ambition.

Hammond raised an enterprising 121, while Bancroft finished unbeaten on 159 from 221 balls and helped add 170 for the fourth wicket with James Bracey, who posted 90 not out from 117 balls as Gloucestershire reached the close on 388 for three, a commanding lead of 370 with two days still to play.

Cheltenham-born Hammond has a special affinity with the Festival, having registered his maiden hundred at the College Ground in only his fourth first class match in 2018.

His fifth Championship hundred was a classy affair, the elegant left-hander seeing off the threat posed by van der Gugten and flourishing until he skied a catch to mid-on, having accrued 17 fours and four sixes in a sparkling innings spanning 110 deliveries.

Sedate

Although Bancroft’s advance to three figures was a rather more sedate affair, his contribution was every bit as important.

Earlier, Glamorgan – resuming on 133 for seven – were indebted to Mason Crane’s forthright 44 from 56 balls.

Marchant de Lange struck an early blow for the home side, wicketkeeper Bracey claiming his fifth catch to remove van der Gugten, before Beau Webster hastened a swift termination, having Andy Gorvin held at point via a leading edge and then enticed Crane to hole out to Ajeet Singh Dale at long-on.

Australia’s Webster finished with impressive figures of five for 17 from 10.1 overs with four maidens, while de Lange backed him up with three for 44.