Glamorgan Given Ben Kellaway Boost After Tame Draw

Kellaway’s rehabilitation from a torn hip muscle provided one of the positives in the background for Glamorgan as their Rothesay County Championship clash with fellow promoted side Leicestershire drifted to a tame draw at Sophia Gardens on Monday.

It left both teams still searching for a first win of the Division One campaign.

While the contest itself ultimately petered out into a predictable stalemate, Dawson’s update on Kellaway offered reassurance for Glamorgan, with the England hopeful’s return now appearing firmly on the horizon after he was able to increase his workload during the match.

"Ben Kellaway did a bit of running this morning, did some fielding and had a hit so he's progressing nicely, he's adding more to his rehab," said Dawson.

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Kellaway’s return would be welcome boost for Glamorgan as they look to build momentum after a steady rather than spectacular opening to life back in the top flight.

Glamorgan were forced to settle for a draw after Leicestershire’s formidable first-innings total of 585 for 7 declared effectively removed any realistic prospect of a result. 

Jonny Tattersall converted his overnight 86 not out into a composed century, while Ben Cox’s unbeaten 68 helped the visitors stretch their advantage before declaring with a lead of 146.
Glamorgan’s bowlers were largely left to endure a lengthy slog, though Kiran Carlson’s unexpected marathon spell provided some resistance. 

More accustomed to contributing with the bat, Carlson claimed 2 for 99 from 33 overs in a tireless effort that included bowling in his worn county cap rather than taking the third new ball.

Leicestershire attempted to inject some urgency late on, but the surface offered little encouragement for bowlers throughout much of the four days. 

Glamorgan’s response, led by Asa Tribe’s unbeaten half-century, reached 137 for 2 in 52 overs before the sides shook hands on the draw.

For Dawson, there was satisfaction in how his side adapted, particularly after a testing previous outing against Nottinghamshire.

"If they were going to come hard with the bat this morning, we might have been on the back foot but the way we were bowled yesterday to hold the game, we did a hell of a job.

"The pitch wasn't what we expected, it was a different game from what we had planned for, I suppose it was challenging in a different way.

"Our last game against Notts, we played well in patches but we wanted to bounce back and we know Leicester play hard cricket, they put runs on the board and we've both come away with what we probably deserved."

The draw means Glamorgan continue to search for the consistency needed to re-establish themselves in Division One after promotion, but Kellaway’s impending return could strengthen their options significantly in the coming rounds.

Leicestershire, meanwhile, were left similarly frustrated despite dominating large portions of the match, with head coach Alfonso Thomas critical of the hybrid pitch and its impact on the spectacle.

"The bowlers were absolutely superb to bowl 140-odd overs and only go for three (runs) an over, I thought was a phenomenal effort in quite hot weather in England (Wales) for the time,” said Thomas.

"In terms of the wicket, I wasn't impressed, it's not conducive to four-day cricket, if I was coming to watch that I don't think I'Il be queueing to come back next week.

"For me, being a (former) bowler there's got to be a fair contest between bat and ball, and that had boring draw written all over it by the end of day two.

"We haven't played a lot of four-day cricket on hybrids, but if that's how they're going to play I certainly wouldn't be an advocate for Callum (Lewin, head groundsman) to do it at Grace Road."