CARDIFF – Leg-spinner Odean Brown’s five-wicket haul restricted Glamorgan to a modest total but the loss of two quick wickets in the late exchanges left West Indies “A” in strife on the opening day of their three-day first class match yesterday.
The 28-year-old Brown snapped up five for 92 to send Glamorgan tumbling to 261 all out after they won the toss and chose to bat at the SWALEC Stadium.
David Brown, on first class debut, scored 99 while opener Gareth Rees stroked 55.
Any hopes of building on this advantage were dashed, however, as sharp 21-year-old fast bowler Will Owen knocked over captain Devon Smith without scoring and then sent back the other opener Justin Guillen for three, as West Indies “A” crashed to 11 for two at the close.
Smith was bowled by a peach off just the second ball of the innings without a run on the board, while Guillen edged the fourth ball of Owen’s next over to captain Tom Maynard at second slip at five for two in the third over.
It was left for Omar Phillips (6), who played two Tests last year against Bangladesh, and Andre Fletcher (1) to see Windies “A” safely to the close without further loss.
Odean Brown had earlier starred for the Caribbean side, running amok in Glamorgan’s middle order after pacers Gavin Tonge (3-53) and Lionel Baker (2-49) had handed Windies “A” a fantastic start.
In a testing opening spell from the Cathedral Road End, Baker struck with just the tenth ball of the day when he bowled Will Bragg without scoring with just four on the board and he sent back Maynard in similar fashion, also without scoring, in his next over to leave the hosts on eight for two.
Tonge, operating from the River End, prised out Ben Wright (17) at 31 for three, before Rees and Mike Powell rescued Glamorgan with a stand of 53 for the fourth wicket.
Rees scored 55 with ten fours from 102 balls in 135 minutes at the crease, while Powell’s 25 came from 54 balls and included five boundaries.
Brown broke the partnership in the final over before lunch when he had Powell caught at the wicket by Chadwick Walton at 84 for four.
That dismissal sparked a slide which saw five wickets tumble for 52 runs as Brown weaved his magic around the Glamorgan batsmen. (CMC)
