Wallace Nears Record As Glamorgan Move Close To Win

Mark Wallace believes Glamorgan are in sight of their first Specsavers County Championship win of the season.

The wicketkeeper took another catch on day three of his side’s contest against Derbyshire at Colwyn Bay to give him eight for the match so far.

It puts Wallace just one catch short of Colin Metson’s country record for most catches in a match, but also leaves Glamorgan well-placed to complete a much-needed victory on Wednesday.

Derbyshire moved to 413-6 in their second innings, only 72 runs ahead of Glamorgan for whom Aneurin Donald hit a record 234 in their first innings.

“It was hard work, harder if you’re a bowler but we get so many games when it’s cold and windy, so you can’t complain,” said Wallace.

“Hopefully, it will be less warm, overcast, and better bowling conditions so we can pick up these last four wickets.

“As soon as they got ahead, the game gets a little bit different. But it’s a good pitch, it’s a small ground, and any total around 200 is still very chase-able.

“Eight catches shows how well the seamers have bowled on a pretty unresponsive surface, but with four more wickets to get, we’ll take them any way they come.”

Despite a century from Chesney Hughes, the tenth of his career and his third against Glamorgan, and 90 from Wayne Madsen as the third-wicket pair added 180, Glamorgan remain on course to win.

But with Hughes and Madsen both out, much will depend on the Derbyshire middle and late order batsmen if they are to set Glamorgan a challenging target. Their captain Billy Godleman was 66 not out.

Derbyshire batsman Hughes said: “I enjoyed that one as in the last four games I haven’t got the scores I wanted to. So, to get a hundred meant a lot and I thought I played well for it, because the ball swung for the majority of the morning.

“It’s a pitch that’s taken 30-degree heat for two days so it is breaking up and getting harder.

“We know as a team that if we can get by that morning session and get a decent score on the board, it’s game on.”