Cricket: Glamorgan shortfall

Hampshire 309-4 dec & forfeit Glamorgan forfeit & 287-8 Match drawn

Glamorgan's brave attempt to score 310 off what turned out to be 78 overs to beat Hampshire ended in a tense draw at Cardiff. They finished on 287 for 8, after at one stage looking well in control of affairs.

It had to be a contrived finish after the dreadful weather that had restricted the first three days to just 72 overs and the respective captains, Matthew Maynard and John Stephenson, duly engaged in a little horse-trading before the final day got under way.

The results of their negotiations were a declaration, a double innings forfeiture and a target that might have appeared to be a little on the generous side.

The state of the wicket, however, determined otherwise. Slow, lifeless and resembling a suet pudding, it soaked up the best efforts of the stroke makers and made scoring runs difficult.

Glamorgan certainly gave it a go despite losing both Hugh Morris and Adrian Dale with only 44 runs on the board.

Maynard, who has been sadly out of touch, looked very much back to his old self and stroked five elegant boundaries in helping Steve James add 56 in 12 overs for the third wicket.

He eventually went for 34, scored off 45 balls, to a splendid catch at square leg by Giles White as he attempted to pull a short one from James Bovill, but Anthony Cottey joined the in-form James in a 69-run partnership that took Glamorgan to 169 in the 45th over before Cottey was bowled by Kevan James.

When Steve James touched a ball from Bovill to provide wicket keeper Adrian Aymes with his third catch and send Glamorgan to 190 for 5 in 53rd over, Hampshire must have scented victory.

Gary Butcher and Adrian Shaw, however, still had their eyes on a Glamorgan triumph and Hampshire were forced to adopt some negative bowling tactics in an attempt to stop the game running away from them.