Glamorgan fight to even-up contest

Glamorgan 72 for 2 v Surrey 380
Scorecard

Bad light and rain meant just 45 overs were bowled on day two of the County Championship Division Two clash between Surrey and Glamorgan at The Oval, which ended with the visitors on 72 for 2. Surrey had earlier been bowled out for 380, but their hopes of making significant inroads on the visitors batting line-up was frustrated by the weather.

Nine overs were possible before lunch, during which time Surrey added 19 runs for the loss of Gareth Batty, who was bowled playing across the line to Jim Allenby. Chris Schofield's first Championship half-century of the season, which came off 107 balls, arrived shortly after lunch.

At the other end, Chris Tremlett gave a hint that the home side were on course for all five batting points when he reeled off two successive straight driven fours off Huw Waters.

But with the seamers gaining assistance from the cloud cover as well as the second new ball, James Harris and Allenby polished off the last three Surrey wickets in the space of 32 deliveries. Tremlett was brilliantly caught in front of first slip by Mark Wallace.

Having just driven Harris to the point boundary to move to 63, Schofield then lost his off stump trying to work the 20-year-old seamer through wide mid-on. Three overs later, Stuart Meaker was the last Surrey man to go, caught behind off Allenby.

Facing a follow-on target of 231, the Glamorgan lost Gareth Rees in the seventh over of their reply when he was trapped on the crease by Tremlett, though not before he had worked the former England and Hampshire fast bowler down to the rope at deep-backward square-leg for four.

Tremlett, who looked back to his best, and Jade Dernbach gave Mark Cosgrove ample opportunity have a nibble down the leg-side, but the 26-year-old Australian refused to take the bait. Instead, Cosgrove opted to violently despatch anything wide of his off stump to the cover boundary until, in the 12th over, a moment of indecision resulted in him being bowled by Meaker.

At tea, the visitors were 55 for 2, but only further 19 balls were possible before the heavens opened, putting paid to any more action. In that time, however, Jamie Dalrymple and Ben Wright gave Glamorgan hope of getting back into the match with an unbeaten stand of 34.