Illegal bowling actions: FAQs

The whats, whys and hows of illegal bowling actions, and the related corrective measures and penalties.

What is an illegal bowling action?
An illegal bowling action is one in which the bowler's 'elbow extension' exceeds 15 degrees while he is in his delivery stride. The ICC set the 15-degree limit for all bowlers in November 2004.

What constitutes elbow extension?
Elbow extension includes flexion (in this case, the closing of the elbow joint) and extension (the straightening of the elbow joint).

Does a bent arm automatically signify an illegal action?
If the arm is bent at the onset of the delivery stride but remains rigid or does not flex or extend beyond the permissible 15 degrees during the duration of the stride, the action is not illegal. An action is only illegal if the arm flexes or extends beyond the permissible limit while in the delivery stride.

What happens after a bowler's action is reported by the match officials?
Once the match officials' report is received by the bowler's team management or home board, he must undergo testing on his action at an ICC-accredited facility within 21 days. At present, there are ICC-approved centres in Brisbane and Cardiff, and another one in Chennai is expected to be functional soon. The player is free to bowl until the results of the test are out.

What does the test involve?
The bowler is expected to replicate the action he uses during an international match and bowl at the same speed too, for the various deliveries being tested. His action is captured by multiple cameras and his movement is monitored using sensors placed on his body. The test, which is conducted by biomechanists and human movement experts, measures the degree of flexion and extension for every delivery and determines whether the action violates the prescribed 15-degree limit.

If the action is found to be illegal, what then?
The player will be suspended from bowling in international cricket immediately and a report of the test will be sent to the player's home board. On receipt of the report, the board has the option of appealing the results to an ICC-appointed bowling review group (BRG) within 14 days. However, should the appeal fail, the BRG could impose a ban on the player for a period of time.

What is the process if the player's board decides not to appeal?
The player will have to undergo remedial work on his action. He can apply for retesting at any point of time, and if his remedied action passes the ICC's 15-degree rule, he will be allowed to resume bowling in international cricket.

What happens if the bowler's action is found to be illegal a second time?
If the player is suspended a second time for an illegal action within two years of the first instance, the second suspension - from bowling in international cricket - shall last for a minimum of one year. He will be allowed to apply for reassessment only at the completion of the one year.

What if only one of a bowler's deliveries is deemed to be illegal?
If testing shows that the bowler's action is illegal only for a particular delivery, say the doosra, he will be banned from bowling just the doosra in international cricket until he corrects his action for this particular ball and has it passed as legal. If he is found to have bowled the doosra in an international game without having it reassessed first, he will be reported and suspended from bowling in internationals altogether, and the suspension shall be considered a second suspension in keeping with the terms mentioned in the previous question.

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Dahiya back as Delhi Ranji coach

Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Vijay Dahiya has been reinstated as the chief coach of the Delhi Ranji Trophy side while former Test batsman Yashpal Sharma will head the selection panel, according to a list released by the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA).

Dahiya had coached Delhi in the 2012-13 season before DDCA decided against renewing his contract as assistant coach Sanjeev Sharma was elevated to top post. However, Delhi failed to clear the group stage last season under Sanjeev.

Sanjeev is in line to become one of the domestic match referees.

Gursharan Singh will be the chairman of selectors for the Under-23 side, which will be coached by Ajay Verma while another former Delhi skipper, Bantoo Singh, will head the U-19 selection panel and Raju Sharma has been appointed chief coach.

Anil Jain and Kamal Talwar will be the chairman of the U-16 and U-14 teams. Shikhar Dhawan's childhood coach Madan Sharma will be in charge of U-16 side while U-14 team will be under S M Khan's tutelege.

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Lahore Lions bowlers sink listless Mumbai Indians

Lahore Lions 139 for 4 (Akmal 38*, Shehzad 34) beat Mumbai Indians 135 for 7 (Tare 37, Cheema 2-22) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Mohammad Hafeez had tried to portray Lahore Lions as the underdog, saying he would be content if his team played to potential and enjoyed themselves. As the match wore on however, it was revealed to be a ruse as a bowling line-up that looked fit for an international team confounded Mumbai Indians.

A target of 136 would not bother most T20 champions and Lahore Lions, who had won the Faysal Bank T-20 in 2014, had Ahmed Shehzad at the top and Umar Akmal during the finish to guide them home and leave the defending champions with a tougher path for their place in the main draw.

The top order had been a point of concern through the IPL for Mumbai and those same concerns followed them to the Champions League. Aizaz Cheema's nagging lines forced Mumbai to slip from a sedate 20 for 0 in the third over to 23 for 3 in the fourth.

Cheema induced Lendl Simmons into holing out to mid-off for 7. Jalaj Saxena, on debut for Mumbai, was on the receiving end of a lovely outswinger and edged to slip the very next ball. The hat-trick was denied by Ambati Rayudu, but an optimistic single could have caused problems had Saad Nasim nailed the throw at the non-strikers' end. Lions were not hurt badly by that missed opportunity as Rayudu's swat to midwicket resulted in an edge to the keeper in the next over.

Michael Hussey, who was picked ahead of Corey Anderson, added 44 runs with Aditya Tare to halt the slide. A cracking pull had got Hussey going and he looked imperious while lifting Hafeez over long-off but the pace of Wahab Riaz, melded with a good line outside off, had him nicking to the keeper. Tare trudged on for 37 off 36 balls, his efforts to accelerate stymied by offspinner Adnan Rasool, who conceded only 13 in three overs.

Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar went on a slogging spree in the final few overs but the final score of 135 looked quite light, 18.4 overs later it was proved so.

Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad collected 51 for the opening partnership but some smart fielding helped Mumbai hit back. Pollard dived and got under a skew to long-on and Tare displayed good presence of mind to have Jamshed stumped, as the batsman wandered out of his crease without realising the ball had dribbled off his bat and pad to the keeper. Akmal arrived with 55 required off 37 balls and defused the situation with a flurry of boundaries - he helped smack Lasith Malinga for 15 runs in the 18th over and killed the chase with four, six and four.

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Openers set up strong day for West Indies

West Indies 246 for 3 (Johnson 66, Brathwaite 63) v Bangladesh
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Given that only a small crowd came to the Beausejour Stadium to watch West Indies' 500th Test match, the swaying fortunes of West Indies and Bangladesh was what illuminated the occasion. The first day of the second Test could have gone either way. In the end, it was the home side who emerged happier, but not to the extent they may have imagined at the end of a wicketless first session.

West Indies were 246 for three at stumps, a score that reflected the fact that they did not take full advantage of a 143-run opening partnership between Kraigg Brathwaite and the debutant Leon Johnson. It also flattered them, since they lost their way in the final session and Bangladesh bowled well but dropped some important catches.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo, unbeaten on 34 and 44 respectively, steered West Indies through a tough period. They have so far added 61 for the fourth wicket, with Bravo starting off with a string of fours and sixes before shutting up shop. But the partnership could have ended in the 72nd over when Al-Amin, who was getting the ball to straighten from around the wicket, found Chanderpaul's edge only for Nasir Hossain to drop it, diving to his right from second slip. He could have left it for first slip, where Anamul Haque would only have had to lean forward to make the catch.

The Bangladesh pace bowlers ended the day with their heads slightly higher after a disappointing first session. After Mushfiqur Rahim chose to field first on a pacy and bouncy pitch with lateral movement, they hardly attacked the stumps in the first session.

Johnson and Brathwaite gave West Indies the ideal start, going through the first session wicketless. Having scored at just over two runs an over before lunch, they picked up the pace soon after, adding 82 before Brathwaite, having scored his sixth fifty, played an out-of-character shot, chasing a wide ball from Shafiul Islam and spooning a catch to point.

Johnson's 66 showed promise, not just while threading the ball through the covers or hitting straight. He took his time getting off the mark, off his 17th ball, but he adjusted manfully even though he is not a regular opener. He reached his fifty off 135 balls, but couldn't take advantage of a half-chance, when he edged the ball through the slips on 61, and fell after adding just five more. Johnson's 162-ball innings contained five fours and a six.

His dismissal, leg-before to Taijul Islam, came 25 balls after Brathwaite's dismissal. He could have had another reprieve if he had asked for the review within 15 seconds but he was late by three seconds after consulting Kirk Edwards, the non-striker. Hawkeye suggested that the ball from Taijul Islam would have missed the leg stump.

Edwards had yet another unproductive outing, getting out for 16 to a good low catch, diving to his left, by Shamsur Rahman at cover off Mahmudullah. He had been given a life on five when Taijul Islam dropped a simple chance off his bat at backward point.

Shafiul was lucky to get the wicket of Brathwaite but saw two chances, the ones given by Johnson and Edwards, going down off his bowling. This being his first Test in more than three years, it would be a satisfying first day though he too, like Robiul Islam and Al-Amin Hossain, was trying to overdo the swing and seam movement in the first session.

Robiul was having a poor day as he was wayward and undisciplined, but he bowled well after tea, getting the old ball to jag both ways to the left-handers. He gave Chanderpaul some food for thought with the second new ball too, as shots were attempted and edges missed by whiskers.

Al-Amin also improved as the day progressed, ensuring he kept the ball up and used the movement in the air without forcing things to happen. He beat Chanderpaul in the 72nd over and a ball later, had him edging. He was livid at the slip cordon when Nasir dropped the catch.

West Indies added 93 runs in the last session without losing a wicket, ending the day on a bit of a high. Bangladesh, on the other hand, must have been peeved at not taking the chances. They will have a ball that is just five overs old and a pace attack that has learned what not to do on this pitch in the morning session.

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Chucking is technical fault, not crime - Dravid

Rahul Dravid believes bowlers who have been banned for suspect bowling actions are suffering from kinks, which once corrected should allow them to reintegrate with international cricket. He added that he would always give a bowler the benefit of the doubt before he passes a judgment on his action.

"Personally I don't think we should see chucking as a crime as such. It is just a technical fault that people have. So if you have a technical fault in the action, you correct that and come back. When you overstep the line, nobody says you are cheating. You say, okay, come back behind the line. And here we are saying, come back within 15 degrees [of elbow flexion] and play the game," Dravid said in an interaction with the audience after delivering the annual Dilip Sardesai Memorial Lecture.

In the past few months, several bowlers have been called up for tests by the ICC and subsequently banned if they failed to demonstrate a legal bowling action. The most notable examples have been Sri Lanka offspinner Sachithra Senanayke and his Pakistan counterpart Saeed Ajmal, arguably the best spinner in the world at the moment.

"I think the ICC has a rule in place," Dravid said. "They reviewed a lot of the old footage and they found out that the elbow bent to about 15 degrees was pretty normal and that is what everyone was doing. Glenn McGrath had a slight bend in his elbow up to 15 degrees. I am not suggesting that Glenn McGrath was chucking. They have a system in place and what I am glad about is that they are really enforcing it strictly.

"They are reviewing people, they are getting people caught. I give them the benefit of the doubt. I always give the bowler the benefit of the doubt. Murali went through every test possible at that time so you have to give him the benefit of doubt. What the ICC is doing now is they are being vigilant. What they are saying is that if once you are cleared in 2009, you can't [not] be checked again. You have got to keep monitoring, watching it closely and they see bowlers developing new types of deliveries, then why not go into the lab and have it checked."

The discussion then veered to the health of the three formats of cricket and Dravid said ODIs were being put under pressure by "meaningless games"

"I think one-day cricket is seriously struggling," he said. "I definitely think that one-day cricket without a context is struggling. When you think of one-day cricket from a point of view of Champions Trophy and the World Cup, it is relevant. But I think all the other one-day cricket should be given towards playing the Champions Trophy and the World Cup. And then you've got Test cricket and you've got the T20 format of the game. Meaningless one-day games and too many one-day games can actually be a problem and it is something that can be cut off. You should play lesser one-day cricket and play more tournaments. So Champions Trophy and World Cup, I would go for it, definitely."

Questions were also raised regarding young Indian cricketers' seriousness towards playing Tests after the team's meek surrender in the recent tour of England. Dravid, however, backed the next generation, saying he never got a sense of them not being serious about Tests during his week-long stint as a consultant with the Indian team ahead of the five-Test series.

"When people say that some of our boys don't care about Test cricket, that's completely wrong. Because all they are asking me is, 'how did you do well?'. They are not worried about a T20 game coming up. They are only interested in knowing how did we do well in England, how did we do well in Australia. Virat Kohli is asking those questions all the time. I don't think it is that they don't care. They care deeply but they were found out against a really good bowling attack on a difficult wicket. And they were not good enough in those particular Test matches. But I think they do care [about Tests] and they ask those questions."

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MacLeod the winner, Mooney the hero

Scotland 243 for 2 (MacLeod 116*, Gardiner 89) beat Ireland 241 for 9 (Mooney 96, Haq 5-54) by eight wickets
Scorecard

In an ideal world, the ball would have flashed off John Mooney's blade, dissecting the two fielders stationed backward of point. It would have raced across the outfield and over the rope. It would have brought up his maiden ODI century. It would have prompted Malahide to rise in unison. It would have been a soul-stirring moment. But, this is not a perfect world, nor do such fairy tales regularly transpire.

As it was, Richie Berrington stooped forward, snaffled a low chance and ended an innings of consummate quality from a player who, less than twenty-four hours previous, had bravely revealed the full extent of his battle with depression.

Fittingly, all four corners of the ground rose in appreciation. It did not matter that the score under his name remained four short of a century or that Ireland's total was significantly under-par because, in the grand scheme of things, such particulars are irrelevant. The sight of Mooney back in the green apparel is enough in itself.

In the event, it was an innings that glued Ireland together against a purposeful Scottish side infused with a determination to wrestle a semblance of pride back following two underwhelming performances earlier in the week. Calum MacLeod's second ODI century ensured the visitors left with some positives to take before their World Cup preliminaries begin in earnest later this month.

The same top-order that had looked so helplessly vulnerable against the moving ball hitherto made light work of the target as they chased down 242 with minimal fuss. It was Scotland's first ODI win on Irish soil and was manufactured by a disciplined bowling performance led by Majid Haq's first five-wicket haul in the format.

It was little surprise that Preston Mommsen asked Ireland to bat first under cloud-laden skies. It was perhaps unfortunate that the outcome of a match was determined so considerably by the toss of a coin but it was another thing to ensure you made best use of such favourable conditions. Certainly, Scotland were resolute not to let the opportunity slip and built the platform for their wounded batsmen to flex their muscles.

The absence of Kyle Coetzer and Matt Machan has been felt significantly but in MacLeod they have an opening batsman enjoying the best form of his career; it showed here. A breakthrough season at Durham, particularly against the white ball, has raised genuine hopes that he is a player of the calibre Scotland have so desperately craved in recent years.

There was no sign of the hesitation that undermined his failures earlier in the week as he tucked into some charitable bowling from the hosts, who looked weary before wilting in the late afternoon Dublin sun. MacLeod formed a match-defining partnership with Hamish Gardiner, who may be looking over his shoulder nervously with Coetzer and Machan to return to the side.

The pair saw off the initial threat of Max Sorensen and Craig Young before taking advantage of easier circumstances as they matched each other blow for blow. That was until Gardiner, eleven short of a first century in Scottish colours, fell attempting to cut the part-time spin of Andrew Balbirnie.

Phil Simmons and the selectors will name an 18-man squad for the pre-World Cup tour to Australia and New Zealand on Monday and, while a series win was already assured, this reversal is a timely wake-up call.

Graeme McCarter is expected to miss out despite bowling eight economical overs with Young, who moved his tally of wickets for the week to nine with the early dismissal of Matty Cross, now ahead of him in the pecking order. None of the batsmen on the fringes added much weight to their case for inclusion on a morning during which Ireland stuttered and stumbled.

While they were able to negate the early advances of Scotland's new ball bowlers, albeit at a pedestrian pace, Haq's introduction in the 17th over paid instant dividends. Stuart Thompson feathered the offspinner behind to Cross and four balls later Andrew Poynter missed a straight one that went on with the arm. Mooney, however, added steel to the innings.

A towering six down the ground off MacLeod set the wheels in motion as he accelerated through the gears. Kevin O'Brien's departure, the ball after the second drinks break, halted Ireland's recovery after they had slipped to 95 for 4 but Mooney wasn't deterred.

It was his first half-century in four years and, in stepping down the pitch to Haq and crunching an expansive drive through cover, he brought up his highest ODI score, overtaking his previous best of 55. The fireworks were to come, though. An audacious reverse sweep which flew over the rope had the crowd purring and when he took Michael Leask for 12 off the 46th over, he moved within touching distance of three figures. It wasn't to be.

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Will Gidman ensures ton-filled draw

Gloucestershire 646 (A Gidman 264, Roderick 171, Sheikh 4-97, Freckingham 4-138) and 306 for 9 dec (W Gidman 104*, Shreck 3-44) drew with Leicestershire 565 (O'Brien 119, Eckersley 119, Smith 103, Robson 97, Redfern 60)
Scorecard

Will Gidman marked his last home appearance for Gloucestershire with a century as the match with Leicestershire at Bristol meandered to a draw.

The allrounder, who is joining Nottinghamshire next season, hit an unbeaten 104 as the hosts batted for the whole of the final day to score 306 for 9 in their second innings, giving them a lead of 387.

Charlie Shreck briefly gave Leicestershire hopes of victory, but in the end both sides settled for 11 points from a match dominated by the bat.

Afterwards Gidman, 29, said: "I am absolutely thrilled to score a hundred on my last appearance for Gloucestershire here.

"I owe the club everything for making my career. This is a time of some sadness, but by the time November comes I know I am going to be very excited at the prospect of teaming up with Nottinghamshire.

"I don't know how big a step up first division cricket will be, but I am so looking forward to the challenge.''

Gidman's hundred completed a storybook farewell home game for him and brother Alex, who is joining Worcestershire for next summer. The elder of the pair added 38 to the career-best 264 he made in the first innings before leaving the pitch to a standing ovation.

A more decisive outcome had looked in store when Shreck found some swing at the start of the morning session to send back Will Tavare and Gareth Roderick, while Rob Taylor removed Alex Gidman.

That left Gloucestershire 89 for 4 and leading by only 170. Tavare was taken at second slip by Greg Smith for 4, Roderick, on 21, edged to wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien and Gidman was brilliantly caught one-handed at first slip by Jigar Naik.

The 33-year-old Gidman, who made his Gloucestershire debut back in 2001, raised his bat to all corners of the ground in response to the applause as he walked off.

Hamish Marshall and Ian Cockbain added 54 to ease any nerves in the home camp before Marshall, on 32, fell lbw to a full ball from Ollie Freckingham just before lunch, which was taken at 143 for 5.

That became 143 for 6 straight after the interval when Cockbain nicked a catch behind off Shreck.

Gloucestershire were then 224 in front with more than 60 overs left in the day and Leicestershire scented a chance, but Will Gidman shared a stand of 74 with Tom Smith to banish any chance of a victory for the visitors.

That partnership ended when Smith was picked up at gully by Taylor for 38 to give Naik his only wicket of the match. Craig Miles fell to the occasional offspin of Dan Redfern for 10, but Gidman was still there at tea, unbeaten on 67.

Redfern picked up another wicket when Liam Norwell was caught by O'Brien for one in the final session, but by then the only remaining interest was whether Gidman would reach his hundred.

He did so by square-cutting Redfern for his 15th four, having faced 122 balls and also hitting two sixes. Soon afterwards the players shook hands on the draw, the game ending at 4.20pm.

Leicestershire head coach Ben Smith said: "It was a tremendous fightback by us after the first day, but in the end the wicket had dictated the way the game went.

"It was a very good batting pitch, but there were some very good individual displays in our team and this morning there was a bit of help for the bowlers. It was the best I have seen Charlie Shreck bowl all season. His spell first thing set the tone and at one point we were really in with a chance of winning.''

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Goodwin announces retirement

Murray Goodwin has brought the curtain down on a 20-year professional career with the announcement he will retire at the end of this season for Glamorgan.

Goodwin made his first-class debut in the 1994-95 season for Western Australia in a tour match against England at the WACA where he hit 91 and 77. In 1998 he made his Test debut for his native Zimbabwe, against Sri Lanka in Kandy, and collected 19 appearances during which he averaged 42.84

After quitting international cricket due to family reasons he moved back to Australia and then secured what would become a long-term association with Sussex before spending the last two English seasons with Glamorgan where he has been a senior figure in a relatively young batting order.

His most recent appearance for the county came in August 20 when he made 59 in a Royal London Cup match against Sussex. He struggled in the Championship, scoring 347 at 23.13.

Gareth Rees was the second Glamorgan player to confirm retirement on Friday as he opted to return to study with a view to moving into the business world. Rees, 29, will finish with 5910 first-class runs at 32.65.

It was a day of mass departures for the county who also announced that pace bowler Michael Reed along with batsmen Stewart Walters and Tom Lancefield will not be offered new contracts. Reed had reached as far as the England Performance Programme but has been struck down by injuries this season and has not made an appearance.

Hugh Morris, the Glamorgan chief executive, said: "This is always a difficult time of the season with decisions made regarding which players will remain in the squad and indeed some players deciding their own futures.

"Murray, Gareth and Stewart have been leaders on and off the field and part of the first -team squad throughout their time at Glamorgan, making valuable commitments to the Glamorgan cause.

"Mike has struggled with injury this year and has chosen to move on, whilst Tom although pushing for a place in the first-team throughout the summer has found opportunities limited."

However, it has not all be about players departing. Will Owen, along with youngsters Kieran Bull, Jeremy Lawlor, Jack Murphy, Aneurin Donald, Dewi Penrhyn-Jones and Andrew Salter have all signed new contracts. Bull, an 19-year-old offspinner, has impressed after being a chance late in the season with six wickets in two Championship matches.

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Ireland take series after late wobble

Ireland 225 for 7 (K O'Brien 67) beat Scotland 221 (Berrington 101, Sorensen 4-40, Young 3-39) by three wickets
Scorecard

For over a century the Scots have been voyaging across the Irish sea armed with whites and willow. On few occasions have they not made the return journey empty-handed and even the acclaimed hospitality will have done little to enrich their humbling visits to the Emerald Isle.

Their record on Irish soil in ODIs now stands at played six, lost six as Ireland once more claimed the bragging rights, but this time Scotland made them work for their victory and at 186 for 7 the result was far from assured before John Mooney calmed Irish nerves. A tighter game, though, will have done Ireland no harm in this pre-World Cup workout.

Scotland are a side resigned to the protracted nature of transition but even this, a week in which they have been outplayed and outmuscled, is an alarming reality check five months out from a third appearance on the sport's most exalted stage. There has, however, been a glimpse of light, or two, not least a striking innings from Richie Berrington, the South-African born batsman, who recorded his maiden ODI century.

It was a lone hand though. Much like on Monday, the Scottish top order wilted in the face of Ireland's calculated blitz and while Berrington, along with Josh Davey and then Ali Evans, managed to thrust their side to a semblance of respectability, they were unable to apply the same stranglehold they had been put under when Ireland went about their chase of 222.

As it was, a late rally ensured the scorecard would have a polished look to it from a Scottish perspective but they were always behind the eight ball. Kevin O'Brien scored his second fifty of the series - the first time he had reached the landmark in successive games for Ireland in seven years - to once again take the sting out of any potential Scottish retaliation with the ball.

However, a fine diving catch away to his right from wicketkeeper Matthew Cross off Evans to remove O'Brien, for 67 from 65 balls, in the 35th over was the moment of inspiration his side needed. Stuart Poynter was brilliantly run out by Evans at midwicket a couple of overs later and when Stuart Thompson was trapped in front by Michael Leask, Ireland were wobbling.

Just as he has done on countless occasions before, Mooney, in just his second game back from an extended break from the game due to a stress related illness, played the role of finisher to ease his side over the line with five overs remaining.

In truth, Ireland made hard work of a chase that ought to have been a lot more straightforward. They will, however, be all the better for the workout but for much of the early part of the match it did not appear they would be pushed that far. That they did was solely down to a century of great tenacity and perseverance from Berrington; he could teach his team-mates a thing or two.

An innings which started in survival mode gradually moved through the gears as he and Davey frustrated the hosts and halted their early onslaught. Max Sorensen had accounted for three of the top four, utilising the two-paced pitch and early-morning conditions, to reduce Scotland to 48 for 5. There was a distant possibility the visiting Scots would have a free afternoon to take in the sights of the Irish capital.

Berrington, however, had other ideas. His 84-run stand for the sixth wicket with Davey included an array of shots around the wicket before the latter could only fend Craig Young to gully. Berrington was having no such issues with the Irish bowlers as he struck eight fours and a powerful six to reach three figures for the first time. It was the type of innings worthy of being match winning. Ultimately, it was in vain.

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Glamorgan take charge as bowlers bite back

Glamorgan 282 and 145 for 5 (White 4-27) lead Derbyshire 203 (Allenby 3-42, Wagg 3-56) by 224 runs
Scorecard

Graham Wagg added three wickets to his half-century as Glamorgan put themselves in a decent position against Wagg's old county Derbyshire after day two of their Championship match at Cardiff.

It was just about Glamorgan's day as they bowled Derbyshire out for 203 to give them a 79-run lead on first innings. Wagg, who scored 62 on day one, recorded figures of 3 for 56. Glamorgan extended their lead to 224 by reaching 145 for 5 in their second innings, Wayne White with four of the five wickets to fall.

Most of the damage to Derbyshire's reply was done before lunch as they were reduced to 86 for 5 in the morning session - still 196 behind. Not even the presence of India star Cheteshwar Pujara could help the visitors. He was third man out for 7 as Glamorgan's seamers had a productive morning.

After resuming on 8 for 0, the visitors suffered a setback at the end of the third over of the day when Billy Godleman was trapped leg-before by a full ball from Wagg. Derbyshire slipped to 45 for 2 when Ben Slater edged Wagg to Cosker in the gully off a rising ball, which heralded Pujara's arrival. He showed his class by driving Jim Allenby through cover but the Indian's innings was short-lived as he went lbw to Allenby.

Michael Hogan added to Derbyshire's agony as Wayne Madsen became the third leg-before victim and five overs before lunch Wes Durston became the fourth to go lbw, this time to Allenby. The parade of lbw victims continued when Gareth Cross was trapped by Hogan with the total on 127 and Alex Hughes fell the same way to Wagg.

Though White showed some resistance, young spinner Kieran Bull claimed two wickets in consecutive balls. David Wainwright chipped to Dean Cosker at short extra-cover and then Tony Palladino pulled the 19-year-old to short fine-leg.

That left Derbyshire 153 for 9 but White and Mark Footitt frustrated Glamorgan by putting on 50 in only seven overs to ensure their side registered a batting point before White skied Allenby to Wagg at mid-off.

Looking to extend their first-innings lead, Glamorgan's openers Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg put on 61 but they then lost three wickets in the space of 17 balls. White struck with two lbws in consecutive overs to remove Rudolph and Gareth Rees, who went for a first-ball duck before Bragg was caught behind off Hughes.

Allenby and the in-form Chris Cooke stopped the rot to put on 75 in 23 overs. But when Glamorgan had reached 138 for 3, Allenby was caught by wicketkeeper Cross off White to bring nightwatchman Cosker to the middle and Cooke was then bowled by White.

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