| LV= County Championship Division Two, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (day one): |
| Gloucestershire 165 (60.5 overs): M Harris 59; Van der Gugten 5-26 |
| Glamorgan 4-0 (1 over) |
| Glamorgan (3 pts) trail Gloucestershire (0 pts) by 161 runs |
| Scorecard |
Timm van der Gugten starred for Glamorgan as Gloucestershire struggled to 165 all out on a day delayed by showers and a hover-cover breakdown.
Van der Gugten claimed five wickets in the evening session to put Glamorgan on top, as they finished 4-0 in reply.
Australian Marcus Harris held the early stages of the Gloucestershire innings together with a composed knock of 59.
The mechanical malfunction saw the cover stuck on the square to hold up play.
A torrential downpour four balls into the day’s play saw one of its engines break down as it reached the middle.
An early lunch had to be taken with the rain returning 10 minutes into the afternoon session as the groundstaff did their best with temporary sheeting.
It was tough going for the Shire on a seaming pitch and Harry Podmore, playing his first game for Glamorgan for six years, had Chris Dent caught behind for three.
Harris, who played in Australia’s Sheffield Shield final less than a fortnight previously, was happy to grind it out in very different conditions as Glamorgan’s change bowlers failed to keep up the pressure.
He shared a stand of 66 with James Bracey, who fell to David Lloyd for 33 on the stroke of tea.
Van der Gugten then took over as he ran through the middle order with four lbw decisions in quick succession in a hostile spell as the visitors looked like rabbits caught in the headlights.
When James Harris bowled namesake Marcus, Gloucestershire had lost six wickets for 37.
Zafar Gohar (27) and Tom Price (27 not out) stopped the rot with a stand of 46, but Van der Gugten returned to dismiss Zafar – courtesy of a smart low catch from Cooke – to claim his five-wicket haul, and Dan Douthwaite wrapped up the last two wickets.
Van der Gugten then had to return for night-watchman duties against former team-mate Marchant de Lange, but survived the only over.
