New ball duo Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher each returned 4-55 as Yorkshire enjoyed another positive day against Glamorgan at Cardiff, reaching the halfway stage of this Vitality County Championship fixture on course for victory.
Glamorgan, replying to Yorkshire’s 361 all out, were bowled out for 239 in the early stages of the evening session before the promotion-chasing visitors confidently built on a lead of 122 in the remaining 27 overs of the day.
Adam Lyth and Fin Bean both posted half-centuries and shared 115 for the first wicket through to close, where the visitors reached at 116-1, leading by 238. Lyth was the only wicket to fall for 55, while Bean will begin day three unbeaten on 53.
Former South Africa white ball international Colin Ingram, Glamorgan’s overseas player, top-scored with 88 off 117 balls, becoming the leading run-scorer across both divisions of this season’s Championship in the process with 1,252 to his name.
In fact, this fixture is pitting the leading run-scorer in Division Two against it’s second leading wicket-taker, with Coad moving to 48 courtesy of his four-for.
Captain Jonny Tattersall’s side made an excellent start to the day, which begun with Glamorgan at 12-0 from two overs.
Picture by John Heald. Ben Coad celebrates removing Sam Northeast this morning.
Inside the opening 45 minutes of play, they had reduced their hosts to 37-4 thanks to two wickets apiece for new ball duo Fisher and Ben Coad, the former particularly dangerous.
Glamorgan captain Sam Northeast – a Yorkshire loanee for three games in 2021 – was first to go when trapped lbw on the back pad by Coad – 16-1 in the fifth over.
Northeast fell for 16, including four boundaries.
In fact, all of Glamorgan’s first 36 runs came in boundaries, by which time Fisher had removed the other opener Asa Tribe and Kiran Carlson with successive deliveries in the eighth over.
Tribe was caught at second slip by Lyth driving at a delivery he didn’t need to play at before Carlson edged a late out-swinger to George Hill at first slip.
With the score on 37 in the 11th over, Coad had Ben Kellaway caught behind low down by Jonny Bairstow – his first of three catches as the England man continues to impress behind the stumps.
Picture by John Heald. Matthew Fisher, helped by a catch at second slip for Adam Lyth, removes Asa Tribe.
From there, Yorkshire were met with resistance through until the early stages of the evening. And in-form Ingram led the way.
There was no flurry of wickets, instead it was more about chipping away.
Overseas Ingram shared 50 for the fifth wicket with wicketkeeper Chris Cooke through to the latter stages of the morning, the latter caught behind off Fisher for 20.
When the same bowler trapped Timm van der Gugten lbw, playing to leg having shuffled across his stumps, in the final over of the session, Glamorgan were 98-6 in the 28th over.
Thoughts of being able to make Glamorgan follow-on had come into view.
But, unfortunately, Ingram went a long way to ensuring Yorkshire had to bat again.
Picture by John Heald. Dom Bess bowls Colin Ingram.
He was strong on the drive and pull in hitting 13 boundaries.
He shared 63 for the seventh wicket with Mason Crane, whose 29 was the first of a trio of valuable lower order contributions.
One-time England Test leg-spinner Crane fell when caught behind trying to pull at Thompson, with Bairstow taking a superb catch high above his head – one-handed in the end as the score slipped to 161-7 after 41 overs.
By this time, Ingram’s fifty had been reached off 72 balls, and he was also on the verge of becoming the leading run-scorer in this season’s Championship, across both divisions.
But he wasn’t able to celebrate that mini milestone with a century as Dom Bess bowled him as the left-hander tried to cut a ball too close to his body. It was only Bess’s fifth ball, with Glamorgan now 172-8 in the 45th over.
Then came the real frustration as far as Yorkshire were concerned – either side of tea.
Picture by John Heald. Jordan Thompson also struck at Sophia Gardens today.
Glamorgan needed to reach 212 to avoid the prospect of batting again immediately. Of course, it was by no means certain Yorkshire would have enforced, especially given their healthy pre-game 15-point lead over third-placed Middlesex in the promotion picture.
And the Welshmen went beyond that target before tea thanks to ninth-wicket pair James Harris and Andy Gorvin, who shared 67 on a pitch which looks to be flattening out.
Harris played the senior hand with 40, while Gorvin added 23 including a straight six against Dan Moriarty’s left-arm spin. Gorvin is having an impressive game, adding to his four wickets on day one.
But Coad returned after tea and struck twice in five balls in the 69th over.
He trapped Harris lbw and then uprooted the off-stump of Ben Morris with a beauty which nipped away and would have removed many a top order batter, never mind a number 11 on first-class debut.
Lyth and Bean then batted positively for the remainder of the evening.
Picture by John Heald. Fin Bean cuts this evening as he and Adam Lyth built on Yorkshire’s lead.
It will be of no surprise to learn that Lyth drove nicely, as he always does when he gets in, while Bean cut with confidence and worked nicely off his legs.
Lyth pulled Carlson’s off-spin for six over mid-wicket and reached his fifty off 68 balls moments after Bean had done the same off 73.
Unfortunately, Lyth was trapped lbw by Harris in the day’s penultimate over – 115-1 in the 26th. Fisher ended the day as night-watchman.
A good half day’s batting tomorrow and Yorkshire’s bowlers can go in search of win number five in 2024, and one that would put them on the verge of a return to Division One.
Should Middlesex, who are in charge of their game against Derbyshire at Derby, win and Yorkshire win, Yorkshire’s lead would be 15 points going into next week’s final round. Yorkshire host Northamptonshire at Headingley, while Middlesex travel to Hove to tackle Sussex.
Derbyshire are 74-3 in their second innings, trailing by 111.
