Glamorgan’s top order fired as they took control of their Championship game with Kent on day two at Cardiff, with Jacques Rudolph scoring a century.
The home side had extended their lead to 84 runs by the end of play with six first innings wickets still in hand, as they reached 337-4 and left Kent with a fight on their hands to salvage a draw from the game in the remaining two days.
Two big partnerships laid the foundation for the home side’s success, with Rudolph adding 181 with his captain Mark Wallace for the second wicket, before Chris Cooke and Jim Allenby put on an unbeaten 122 together in the evening session.
Starting the day on 236-8, Kent were able to add just 17 further runs to their overnight total, although they did pick up a second batting bonus point in the process.
Mitch Claydon made 25 before being dismissed by Michael Hogan, who also removed last man in Robbie Joseph for a duck to complete excellent figures of 5-58 from 26.4 overs.
Kent actually started pretty well with the ball in hand; Robbie Joseph removing the in-form Will Bragg for just 8 as he started with a fiery five-over spell.
After taking some time to settle at the crease, Rudolph and Wallace, who had promoted himself to number three, began to look far more assured at the crease, and had taken their side to 61-1 by the time the lunch break came around.
The pair were nip-and-tuck in terms of scoring throughout their knocks, as Glamorgan added runs quickly throughout the day, the run rate above four-an-over in their innings so far.
The pair continued to defy the Kent attack as they kept accumulating, batting the whole way through the afternoon session without the visitors making a breakthrough. Claydon did think he had broken the partnership at one point, as he bowled Rudolph with the South African international on 48, only to see the umpire frustratingly signal for a no ball.
Just two balls into the evening session, however, Kent finally picked up wicket number two, as Wallace edged Adam Riley to wicket-keeper Sam Billings for an excellent 82.
That wicket would help bring numbers three and four relatively quickly, with Joseph ending Rudolph’s 170-ball stay at the crease with the batsman on 103, and Riley removing Ben Wright caught down the legside for 19 just seven balls later.
Billings again completed the catches for both of those wickets, meaning he has been the catcher for all four wickets to fall in the Glamorgan innings so far.
Rudolph’s century had been his first in First Class cricket since March 2012, and it also made him the first Glamorgan batsman to reach three figures in the County Championship so far this season.
Following the wickets of Rudolph and Wright, Cooke and Allenby came together at the crease and kept the run rate moving along in a sprightly fashion; both men bringing up their half-centuries before stumps.
Allenby was the first to reach the landmark, passing 50 from only 55 balls in a knock that had featured eight boundaries, including two sixes off Adam Riley.
South African-born Cooke then brought his up a couple of overs before the close, as he finished on 54 and Allenby 59, with the home side well set to push on and continue to stamp their authority on the match going into day three.
Kent will be looking for early wickets in the morning as they attempt to restrict the hosts’ lead as much as they possibly can.
Stumps, day two: Glamorgan vs. Kent, LV= County Championship, Division Two, SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff, 15-18 June 2014:
Glamorgan 337-4 (Rudolph 103, Wallace 82, Allenby 59*, Cooke 54*) lead Kent 253 (Key 63, Ball 42; Hogan 5-58, Allenby 2-29) by 84 runs with six first innings wickets remaining
Glamorgan: Rudolph, Bragg, Wallace*†, Wright, Cooke, Allenby, Wagg, Smith, Salter, Cosker, Hogan
Kent: Key*, Bell-Drummond, Cowdrey, Nash, Harmison, Stevens, Billings†, Ball, Claydon, Riley, Joseph
Kent won the toss and elected to bat
Bonus points: Glamorgan 6, Kent 3
Full scorecard available here
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