Dalrymple ton haunts Middlesex

Jamie Dalrymple rescued his side from a dire position on day one at Colwyn Bay

Jamie Dalrymple struck his first century for three years to frustrate former county Middlesex and help Glamorgan recover from a desperate position on the opening day of the LV County Championship Division Two match at Colwyn Bay.

After being put in to bat by Middlesex, Glamorgan were reduced to 53 for five and then 113 for seven as Tim Murtagh, Alan Richardson and then Danny Evans made the most of a damp pitch and humid conditions.

But Dalrymple, who struck 103 with 12 fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 188-ball effort, launched a remarkable recovery as Glamorgan reached 258 for nine at the close.

It was the former England batsman’s first three-figure score since he scored 108 for Middlesex against the Welsh county at Cardiff in 2005.

Dalrymple, who also scored 80 against Middlesex at the start of the season, helped to add 145 for the final three wickets with Dean Cosker, David Harrison and Adam Shantry and also register two batting points.

But in the first two hours Glamorgan looked like being skittled for fewer than 100.

Murtagh struck with the fifth ball of the match after a 30-minute delay to the start due to early morning showers.

The former Surrey seamer claimed the wicket of Richard Grant, who edged behind - where wicketkeeper Ben Scott took a catch diving to his left.

David Hemp was snaffled low down at third slip by Ed Joyce off Alan Richardson, who also struck to have Michael Powell taken at second slip by Eoin Morgan.

There was more misery for Glamorgan as Gareth Rees, who had been forced to witness the early carnage from the other end, was bowled via an inside edge from a Murtagh ball which nipped back.

Murtagh and Richardson had bowled unchanged for 16 overs until Evans struck in his opening over to have Tom Maynard leg before not playing a shot.

Dalrymple and Mark Wallace shared in a relatively productive partnership of 56 either side of lunch - which Glamorgan reached at 68 for five.

But the hosts’ mini-revival was halted by Evans, who struck twice in two overs, to reduce the opposition to 113 for seven.

Attempting a pull, Wallace got a bottom edge and was caught behind while Robert Croft fell to a catch at second slip by Morgan.

After a 20-over break for rain Dalrymple put on 66 in 18 overs with Dean Cosker, who made 38 before chipping to midwicket in Shaun Udal’s second over.

Dalrymple went to his 50 in three minutes short of three hours from 122 balls with eight fours, and once Glamorgan registered a batting point he plundered Udal for two sixes over long-on and long-off respectively.

He lost Harrison but number 11 Adam Shantry did a good job in guiding Dalrymple to three figures.