Worcestershire 191 for 5 (Hogan 2-28) trail Glamorgan 449 (Cullen 51) by 258 runs
Division Two leaders Glamorgan enjoyed another productive day as Worcestershire closed on 191 for 5 at Cardiff, a deficit of 258 with two days remaining. It was a collective effort from them with the batsmen gaining maximum batting points and four bowlers sharing the wickets.
The home team had resumed on 354 for 6, but soon lost Graham Wagg who spooned a catch to mid-off. Lukas Carey helped Tom Cullen add 39 for the eighth wicket with Carey striking a boundary from the last ball of 110th over to ensure Glamorgan their fifth batting point.
Cullen went on to score his fourth fifty in nine innings and the wicketkeeper, who is deputising for Chris Cooke – the injured Glamorgan captain who returns next week – is making a strong claim to be retained in the team as a specialist batsman.
Brett D’Oliveira, who dismissed both Cullen and Carey, returned career best figures of 7 for 92 on a dry pitch which offered minimal turn, but a stand of 36 for the last wicket between Michael Hogan – who has signed a contract extension until the end of the 2020 season – and Timm van der Gugten resulted in Worcestershire needing 300 to avoid the follow on.
Worcestershire’s openers Daryl Mitchell and Josh Dell made an ultra-cautious start, and after Hogan and Carey’s combined eight-over spell at the start of the innings, they had only scored 12 – which was increased to 17 at the end of the 16th.
They had to contend with some high-class seam bowling, but the pair went on to share an opening stand of 83 before Dell, pushing forward to David Lloyd in the captain’s opening over, was caught behind. Mitchell’s cautious innings of 43 from 134 balls was then ended by Hogan who got the ball to move across the batsman at the last moment resulting in a second catch for Cullen.
Two further wickets the fell in quick succession as Rikki Wessels guided one from Wagg to second slip, then Callum Ferguson played on, attempting force Dan Douthwaite through the offside. Ed Barnard and Ross Whiteley survived for 15 overs but with three remaining Hogan returned to bowl Whiteley, the ball deflecting from the batsman’s thigh pad.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo