Back from two days in Cardiff and my seventh 'must see' match of the season, Glamorgan v Hants, and with Hampshire sealing promotion this afternoon pleased that I had made the effort for who knows when these two sides might meet again. For them to do so seems dependent on the south coast county slipping back into the second division, at least that is the view of the Glamorgan supporters I spoke with whilst at the SWALEC stadium. Such is their pessimism that Gloomorgan seems more appropriate than Glamorgan. Another undistinguished season has closed today with a heavy defeat and the feeling that next year will be no better; a feeling probably shared with the members of Leicestershire and Gloucestershire and possibly other second division county members.. How do you break out of a cycle of losing promising players to wealthier counties and dwindling membership? Answers to Grace Road.
Despite Lancashire's efforts today it is still likely that the two teams promoted last season will be the two to go back down, The most surprising promotion in recent years, Derbyshire in 2012, lasted just one season and Worcestershire set some kind of record in 2013 by moving neither up nor down. Northants were widely tipped to struggle in Div 1 this season but even the most pessimistic Wantage Road regular could not have envisaged the series of heavy defeats they have suffered culminating in their abject performance at The Riverside last week. Their response has been to sweep the dressing room with a very large brush: one wonders if frying pans and fires have crossed Josh Cobb's mind this last week.
The Swalec clock, which seemed to stop when Anderson and Panesar were batting out time against Australia in 2009.
Despite the mismatch between the teams the two days I saw produced some interesting cricket with a stand of over 200 between Vince and Ervine rescuing Hants from 53 for 5 on the first day but with Wallace batting as high as three Glamorgan's batting struggled and one suspects that the only thing that saved the home side from an innings defeat was Hampshire's decision not to enforce the follow on. With umpires called Lloyds and Lloyd the ecb had done its best to give the match a Welsh flavour but the crowd was very small and had no doubt how far up the glass the water reached. The loyal few will probably not regret that the season has ended a day early.
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