Opener finishes with unbeaten half-century after picking up four wickets
Glamorgan 109 for 2 (Lloyd 54*, Root 34*) trail Kent 138 (Lloyd 4-11, van der Gugten 4-41) by 29 runs
Marnus Labuschagne fell cheaply to Darren Stevens, having suffered a freak injury scare prior to the start of play, on what was otherwise a good day for Glamorgan in their LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Kent.
Labuschagne, the Australia Test batter who is currently ranked No.3 in the world, was back in the Glamorgan side after only arriving in Cardiff on Monday, but he suffered a hand problem when he slipped on a flight of steps before entering the field before play started.
He missed part of the afternoon session while his hand was assessed, but did return to the field as Kent were bowled out for just 138, with David Lloyd claiming 4 for 11 and Timm van der Gugten 4 for 41.
But his return with the bat was brief, as Stevens, on the eve of his 45th birthday, pinned him lbw for 11, having already removed Joe Cooke for a duck, as Glamorgan ended day one 109 for 2 in response, trailing by just 29 runs.
Glamorgan won the toss and chose to field, whereupon Kent openers Daniel Bell-Drummond and Jordan Cox put on an untroubled first-wicket stand of 54. But when Bell-Drummond was bowled by Van der Gugten for 31 it gave Glamorgan an opening.
England batting coach Marcus Trescothick was among the onlookers at Cardiff, and he watched Zak Crawley get quickly into his stride, with a sweetly-timed four through mid-on being his best shot of the first session as he went to lunch unbeaten on 26.
But at the other end Kent struggled as Lloyd dismissed Cox and Joe Denly in the same over, while Michael Hogan accounted for Jack Leaning as Glamorgan took three wickets for just five runs before lunch.
Labuschagne didn’t return to the field after lunch, but Hogan continued to cause trouble and he soon dismissed Heino Kuhn lbw to keep Glamorgan on top. The key wicket of Crawley followed, caught behind off van der Gugten, as the first drops of rain came down at Sophia Gardens.
After a brief rain delay, Lloyd cleaned up Stevens, before Ollie Robinson was caught by Lloyd, again off the bowling of van der Gugten.
In reply, Stevens immediately removed Joe Cooke without scoring and then trapped Labuschagne – whose hand injury seemed to be troubling him while batting – lbw.
But Lloyd, who was dropped at slip late on after a second rain break, continued his impressive start to the season by finishing unbeaten on 54.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo