Cricket: O'Gorman gorges on Glamorgan

Glamorgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .402 and 175-7

Derbyshire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .470

THE summer solace has been short and sweet for Glamorgan here, the tailenders having topped 400, they looked forward to establishing a first-innings lead on the back of Matthew Maynard's century. Yesterday, the clouds built up again and a chilling wind besides, while life became something of a breeze for Derbyshire thanks to Tim O'Gorman.

He had not scored a century in the Championship for three seasons and although the nervous nineties presented a problem, he was ultimately up to the task. So, too, was Karl Krikken in an eighth-wicket partnership that stood firm until 145 had been added in 42 overs. Derbyshire had been two down for 15 at one stage, which reveals Glamorgan's lack of penetration.

Steve Watkin may have collected six wickets but he had only taken 13 before the start of this match and these latest additions came at a cost of 143. So much for the strike bowler, but what of Robert Croft? The off- spinner went to Lilleshall in the winter to sharpen up his act but the former England A man is but a shadow of his former self.

Croft is on the brink of conceding 1,000 runs by the middle of June, and after drawing a blank so far here, he is still rooted on only a dozen Championship wickets. O'Gorman and Krikken showed little sympathy as they helped Derbyshire establish a 68-run advantage.

Derbyshire, six down and yet to reach 300 overnight, soon lost Matthew Taylor, who was snapped up behind off the England tourist Watkin without adding to his score. Separating O'Gorman and his new companion was an entirely different prospect, however, as the frustration and the wind built up. Indeed, the sticking point did not arrive until O'Gorman reached 98.

With three figures just around the corner, the former Durham University batsman froze after cutting Watkin for a lovely boundary and driving Steve Bastien through the covers. As he began fretting, he flashed at Bastien and must have been mighty relieved at such a lucky escape. Perseverance, though, pays.

Facing Bastien again, and with a 40-minute wait behind him, he finally recorded his 11th boundary with a splendid off- drive. By then, he had been at the crease for 276 minutes and faced 223 balls. There was still a bit more to come, not least from Krikken.

While O'Gorman made 128, the wicketkeeper's 85 was a Championship best. Nor did Glamorgan's suffering end there, Devon Malcolm striking twice and Allan Warner accounting for a frantic Maynard. Which left Adrian Dale holding up one end with a fighting 70 as the situation deteriorated ominously - only 107 ahead and three wickets in hand.