Croft keeps Glamorgan afloat

Robert Croft © Getty Images

Robert Croft and 17-year-old James Harris guided injury-ravaged Glamorgan towards a competitive first-innings total on the opening day against LV County Championship Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire at Swansea.

The unbroken ninth-wicket partnership realised 88 by the close, with Croft on 65 - his first half-century of the season - and Harris on a career-best 27, to register two batting points.

The pair took the score from 193 for eight to 281 for nine after Glamorgan had sunk to 75 for four before lunch.

Nottinghamshire wore black armbands in memory of their scorer for more than 20 years, Gordon Stringfellow, who had died.

It had not looked encouraging for Glamorgan, who had suffered four championship defeats in five games going into the match.

They were also without seven players, including overseas signings Damien Wright (thigh) and Jimmy Maher, who suffered a groin injury during the pre-match warm-ups, and Simon Jones (knee).

Maher’s injury meant Richard Grant was called in from a second-team match at Bristol to play his first championship game of the summer.

Despite winning the toss, Glamorgan were soon in trouble as Charlie Shreck struck twice from the pavilion end in the first five overs to remove the openers.

Gareth Rees, on the back of a maiden championship century, fell for a duck, chipping the second ball of the match to mid-on, and Nicky Peng edged to gully.

Mark Wallace looked relatively at ease before inside-edging Mark Ealham behind and, on the stroke of lunch, Ben Wright gloved to short leg to give Graeme Swann a wicket in his first over.

Skipper David Hemp reached his fifty from 100 balls in a partnership of 69 with Grant before being well caught at slip by Ealham off Swann.

But Nottinghamshire were always on top and made further inroads when Alex Wharf was trapped in front by Ealham and Michael O’Shea edged Paul Franks to second slip as Glamorgan sank to 178 for seven.

Grant appeared on the brink of his highest championship score until he was bowled by Franks, only the third ball after tea.

However, Croft guided Glamorgan towards two batting points on his way to an 81-ball fifty which contained six fours, passing 10,000 first-class runs for Glamorgan in the process.