THE SWALEC STADIUM

(Day three of four, Gloucestershire won toss)

Gloucestershire 223-2 (Porterfield 93, Kadeer Ali 61, Marshall 51 not out) v Glamorgan

Lunch

No play

Tea

After two days of heavy rain, play finally got underway at the Swalec Stadium at 1.10, with the extension in playing hours meaning that two sessions of two and a half hours each would be possible. The square had to be liberally sprinkled with sawdust but the outfield dried remarkably quickly in the morning and Gloucestershire’s openers, Kadeer Ali and William Porterfield, had little to concern them as they reached 50 in 27 overs and 101 by tea. Kadeer’s half century came off 111 balls and included four fours. Gloucestershire registered Richard Dawson, the former England off spinner, in time to play in this match, for which they were without two bowlers in Alex Gidman and Steve Kirby.

Close

Gloucestershire lost Kadeer Ali, caught behind off Robert Croft’s off spin for 61, but Hamish Marshall, who finished this truncated day with an unbeaten half century, gave solid support to William Porterfield.

Porterfield, the opening batsmen, was only seven runs short of making his first Championship century – he has a first-class one to his name for Ireland – when he moved too far across his stumps and was leg before. His 93 came from 221 balls and included 11 fours. As with many left handers, his strength lay in being able to concentrate fully if he had played and missed at the previous ball, and to take full advantage of anything on his legs. Marshall’s unbeaten 51 came off 87 balls with seven fours.

By the close, Gloucestershire could contemplate leaving Glamorgan a target in what appeared likely to become a one-innings affair.