de Lange's Glamorgan best takes the honours

Glamorgan 26 for 0 trail Gloucestershire 236 (de Lange 5-62) by 210 runs
Scorecard

Marchant de Lange helped himself to his best first-class bowling figures in Glamorgan colours as the Welsh county took the upper hand on day one of their Specsavers' County Championship game at the Brightside Ground.

He took 5 for 62 as Gloucestershire, under a cloudless sky in Bristol, were bowled out for 236. By the close, Glamorgan had reached for 26 without loss.

If the day finished with de Lange taking the plaudits, it began with the impressive young seamer Lukas Carey, in centre stage.

Having come into the game with 48 first-class wickets to his name, Carey was soon celebrating wickets number 49 and 50. First, he sent back Gloucestershire captain Chris Dent with a ball that knocked the left-hander's off stump clean out of the ground. Then, with the score on 30, he trapped fellow opener Benny Howell lbw.

Although James Bracey looked in decent touch at the one end, Gloucestershire lost a further two wickets before lunch with Gareth Roderick edging Michael Hogan to Nick Selman at slip, and Jack Taylor departing in the same manner as his captain had earlier in the day, bowled comprehensively by de Lange.

Sadly, for Bracey, who looked in decent touch before lunch, his 72-ball innings came to an end off the first ball after the interval. Having struck six fours in a faultless 34, the young left hander chanced his arm once too often and was snapped up at slip, once again by Selman, off the bowling of de Lange.

Thereafter, it was left to Ryan Higgins and Graeme van Buuren to steady the ship. The pair, who did well to survive some decent bowling from de Lange and Carey, progressed nicely on a wicket that appeared to improve throughout the second session. However, having added 38 for the sixth wicket, van Buuren missed a decent ball from Hogan and was adjudged lbw.

Higgins was undeterred by van Buuren's dismissal and he, along with Noema-Barnett, had the measure of Glamorgan's five-man attack.

Having taken six wickets against Kent on his Gloucestershire debut last week, the 23-year-old batted with due care and attention as Gloucestershire enjoyed their time in the mid-afternoon sun.

Unfortunately, like those before him, Higgins, finally departed, for 43, at 168 for 7. de Lange was the wicket taker on this occasion, with Higgins having hit half a dozen fours in his 84-ball stay.

Noema-Barnett continued to frustrate either side of tea, as Gloucestershire looked to prevent Glamorgan from finishing the day as they had started it. However, having reached 46, without too many concerns, he became Carey's third victim of the day, to a ball that cut back off a length.

That left Australian Daniel Worrall to carry the side through to a total that many would have felt way beyond them at lunch. He added 23 with Matthew Taylor for the ninth wicket and finished unbeaten on 36 as Gloucestershire were bowled out in the 86th over. de Lange was responsible for mopping up the tail and duly eclipsed his previous best figures for Glamorgan of 5 for 86 against Durham.