Jack Keen To Avoid Murphy’s Law As Glamorgan Aim To Bounce Back

By Alun Rhys Chivers

Glamorgan’s young opening batsman Jack Murphy says he feels he let his side and himself down in the six-wicket defeat to Kent despite following the rare feat of carrying his bat in the first innings with a career-best in the second.

It was a mixed bag for the 22 year-old Pembrokeshire product, who has switched from opening bowler to opening batsman in recent seasons.

Murphy’s first innings 39 not out in Cardiff was the lowest for 96 years by a Glamorgan batsman carrying his bat, as the team lost all 10 wickets for 37 after an opening stand of 59.

In 1922, Tom Morgan made unbeaten scores of 13 against Lancashire at Swansea, and 14 against Nottinghamshire and 22 against Yorkshire, both at Cardiff.

Murphy said: “I did unfortunately get told that record as I came off! It was a very strange day. We thought we’d done the hard work with our opening stand, making it easy for the rest of the day and for the boys coming in. It was strange batting at the other end. Hopefully there’s no more like that for the rest of the season!”

Murphy will want to put that particular experience behind him as he looks to cement his place at the top of the order. He credits overseas batsman Shaun Marsh with helping his confidence.

“I just stuck to my normal game of trying to see off the new ball and bat for a time, really, which is the job I’ve been given to do,” he added. “Batting with Shaun Marsh is a really good help, he makes it a lot easier for you at the crease and makes you feel good and positive about your game.”

Murphy batted for another 200 minutes in the second innings to make 54, sharing a stand of 126 with Marsh.

“It should have been three figures really, not just a half-century,” he added. “I got myself in and I was in a great position, so I felt like I’d let the team and myself down. I should definitely have gone on to make a big score.

“I try to stay in my game plan but unfortunately I wasn’t able to do it on Saturday. I’ve done it plenty of times before, batting for the second team, in club cricket, I know what it takes and what you need to do to make hundreds, and big ones, so I think it’s just a lot of patience and not changing my game too much at the minute.

“Hopefully there’s one around the corner. It’s been a complete change in the last couple of years but I’m really excited and really looking forward to it.”

After a victory over Gloucestershire in their first match at Bristol, followed by a draw with Middlesex at Lord’s, Glamorgan will be hoping that their first defeat is not a sign of things to come.

Murphy’s next chance to impress comes on Friday as Glamorgan, fifth in Division Two, travel to Grace Road to take on a Leicestershire side which has yet to win a Championship match and which includes former Glamorgan opening batsman Mark Cosgrove.