Robert Croft Backs Glamorgan ‘Lionheart’ Timm Van Der Gugten

Glamorgan head coach Robert Croft has paid tribute to the county’s Player of the Year Timm van der Gugten ahead of their final match of the season.

Van der Gugten took the supporters’ award after a debut year in county cricket in which he has taken 47 wickets in the Specsavers County Championhip prior to facing Leicestershire.

The 25-year-old Australian also took 19 wickets in T20 cricket this season and has been one of the few bright lights in an otherwise disappointing campaign for the county.

“The first thing to say about Timm is how well he has joined the environment,” said Croft.

“He’s a very personable chap, everyone gets on with him well and he’s given back to that environment. And then, when he’s on the field, he is a whole-hearted player with great skill.

“In our squad every player has to turn his hand to every form of the game and Timm has not only done that, he’s done it very well.

“The partnership he’s formed with Michael Hogan is very exciting. The way they bowled at Essex last week was something special.

“They were lionhearts and kept on charging in in 30-plus degrees heat and you couldn’t get the ball out of their hands.

“That is something we pride ourselves on at Glamorgan. If we lose on ability then that’s something we can look at ourselves and work on to improve and develop. But we can’t lose on giving up and we won’t give up.”

After securing victory at Chelmsford last time out against the Division Two champions Essex, the Welsh county head to the East Midlands for the final game of the season aiming to avenge the opening day loss.

It will be a final match for Glamorgan’s 19-year-old batsman Aneurin Donald before he heads for a winter in Perth, Australia.

Donald has been selected to play domestic cricket in Australia as part of the ECB’s international pathway squad that involves 50 young players.