Glamorgan Can Win Division Two Next Season, Insists Coach Grant Bradburn

By David Williams

Glamorgan coach Grant Bradburn insists the county have enjoyed a successful season, despite their failure to mount a promotion charge from Division Two of the County Championship.

Bradburn’s team won their final game of the season against Gloucestershire to finish fifth in the table, but some distance behind the promoted top two.

But with Glamorgan having won the One Day Cup, Bradburn believes the 2024 campaign should be viewed in a positive light.

“I’m very pleased with the final week (winning the One Day Cup), for everyone at the club to have something to be proud of and to aspire to greater things,” said Bradburn.

To their credit, opposing skippers Sam Northeast and Graeme van Buuren tried to breathe some life into the final game that had lost its first day through rain and came to a gentlemen’s agreement to make it a one innings match – which Glamorgan eventually won by 192 runs.

And just like that, the cricket season is over..

Another 6-month journey comes to an end, and what an end it was for the Club ❤️

A long winter awaits, but April will soon be around the corner, and it’ll all be perfect again when the cricket restarts ☺️

Ohhh Glammy Glammy! pic.twitter.com/LkJf4GNkSG

— Glamorgan Cricket (@GlamCricket) September 28, 2024

Glamorgan decided to declare at 381 for 4 after seeing Northeast reach a thousand runs for the season and then Chris Cooke reach his unbeaten century with two huge sixes off Oliver Price to set their visitors a target of 382 to win off a likely 82 overs given the forecast for Sunday.

“It was obvious what the game was demanding, we lost a lot of time in the first two days and we had two teams eager to play some cricket, so I’m pleased to finish the season on a high,” added Bradburn.

“I’m very happy for Chris Cooke who’s had a tough year, up and down, he’s had a big year with his testimonial and it was so nice to see him playing with freedom, and also Sam passing 1,000 runs was a significant milestone in a monumental season.

“We bowled with a lot of discipline and it was nice to finish in a way that we want to take this format forward.

“We know we’ve got the skills to compete in this competition and to win it, so we’ll reflect on the things we need to sharpen.

With little at stake for two teams in the lower echelons of the Division Two table, there was only pride at stake as Gloucestershire accepted the gauntlet thrown down to them.

Joe Phillips was given a lifeline in the second over when Northeast failed to take a head-high catch at second slip off Ned Leonard. It was to prove a costly miss as Phillips became the mainstay of the run chase, batting for two hours and 43 minutes for 64 before he was the fourth man out.

And the end of my 43rd season covering Glamorgan, many thanks to all my fellow commentators- especially @nickwebb2017– and the faithful supporters who follow the great game. Hope to see you all in 2025. Diolch yn fawr.

— Edward Bevan (@EdBevanCricket) September 29, 2024

His opening partner Chris Dent had been the first to go when he was caught in the slips by Colin Ingram off Leonard, completing his season long loan from Somerset, for a duck.

Oliver Price was then bowled by Andy Gorvin for 13 to make it 46 for 2 in the 23rd over and when Miles Hammond departed after putting on 46 with Phillips, Gloucestershire were 92 for 3.

The hundred came up courtesy of a boundary from Phillips off James Harris in the 38th over and Gloucestershire looked well set. But then the wickets began to tumble, and Andy Gorvin with 3 for 22 and Ben Kellaway, 3 for 24, eventually removed the visitors for 189 by 5.32pm.

After Phillips departed the only real resistance came from wicketkeeper James Bracey, who was eventually the last man out on 49 when he was bowled by Kellaway.

For the first time in the opening three days the game started on time and Glamorgan set about the task of adding runs to their overnight total of 283 for 4. Having agreed to set a target of around 370, the Welsh county saw Cooke reach his half-century in the second over of the morning.

The new ball arrived at 11.23am, and in the next over Northeast reached his fifty. By the time he reached 63 in the 84th over, he had reached the magical 1,000 run mark for the season.

Ridiculous from Cooky

Chris Cooke gets the @PureCyberLtd ‘Catch It’ moment of the match for an outstanding grab #GLAMvGLOS#OhGlammyGlammy pic.twitter.com/2Mtc3rbG7d

— Glamorgan Cricket (@GlamCricket) September 28, 2024

From then on, it was just a case of when Glamorgan would reach the agreed figure, although it had to be expanded slightly with Cooke so close to his century. Using two spinners, Gloucestershire gave him every chance to get there quickly and two mighty blows over the mid off and mid on boundaries in successive balls got him to three figures.

He reached his century off 121 balls and hit 10 fours and three sixes. His unbeaten fifth wicket partnership with Northeast was worth 171 before the declaration came and lunch was taken.

Gloucestershire coach Mark Alleyne said “We lost by (nearly) 200 runs so it wasn’t that great a contest for us, we were hoping to be more entertaining and make more of a competitive game of it, but we fell well short.

“It was a whole game problem, we didn’t bowl that well, we didn’t catch well, it wasn’t just a batting problem because all three skillsets were lacking in this game and we were quite comfortably second.

“Overall there’ve been a lot of gains made, not reflected in the position in the championship table, but a lot of individuals have had their best seasons so a lot of things are moving in the right direction. I felt we were good enough to be in the top two so I’m disappointed we didn’t challenge in the last three games.

“I’m particularly pleased with the T20 trophy, to be the best in that is a special feeling and I mentioned to the players that moment can never be taken away, they must enjoy it.”