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Day one Leicestershire 221-4
Glamorgan demonstrated why they will miss star seamer Michael Hogan over the next month after Leicestershire’s batsmen took control of the opening day of the county championship clash at Grace Road.
Captain Mark Wallace won the toss and asked Leicestershire to bat, but despite three wickets from Graham Wagg, including two in two balls in the afternoon session, the hosts moved onto 221 for four before rain wiped out the evening session.
Jim Allenby picked up the other success but Welsh duo Jon Glover and Will Owen were unable to make any impression as they shared 23 wicketless overs on their opening appearances of 2014.
England hopeful Mike Reed is missing through injury until the end of June, Huw Waters still on the sidelines with his long-term leg problem and teenager Ruaidhri Smith not included as the Bristol University maths student prepares for exams.
So Glamorgan need their back-up seam bowlers to step up over the next three weeks and not be over reliant on Wagg and Allenby.
Hogan tweeted his good luck from 9,000 miles away in Perth before the start of play but the Glamorgan squad would have been wishing he was taking the field alongside them.
The 32-year-old has returned to Australia to attend the birth of his second child and misses three county championship matches. The Western Australian has proved his worth to Glamorgan over the last 12 months by taking more than 100 victims in all formats for the county last year and finishing as the world’s leading first-class wicket-taker in 2013.
Glamorgan were also guilty of dropping three catches with Leicestershire stand-in skipper, Josh Cobb, who remains unbeaten on 49, surviving missed tricky efforts put down by Wagg and Wallace.
The normally reliable Stewart Walters also spilled a routine slip catch which allowed opener Matthew Boyce to move on from 20 to 49.
This was not the first time Glamorgan have been guilty of dropped catches this season with Murray Goodwin spilling Chris Dent’s first ball in the Gloucestershire draw.
Surrey’s Zafar Ansari also survived an early missed opportunity from Wallace at the Kia Oval before going onto make a six-hour 74, although that proved immaterial as Glamorgan won by 10 wickets.
Former Leicestershire all-rounder Allenby made the initial breakthrough on the opening morning when Greg Smith (28) drove straight to Wagg at cover. Allenby was denied a second wicket when Walters dropped Boyce at second slip as the hosts finished on 82 for one at lunch.
Boyce finally fell in the afternoon session when he prodded at a Wagg ball outside his off stump with wicket-keeper Wallace claiming a smart catch.
Angus Robson, brother of England hopeful Sam, chopped onto his own stumps to give Wagg two wickets in two balls as Leicestershire slipped to 117 for three.
Cobb survived the hat-trick ball but Wagg soon celebrated his third victim when Ned Eckersley edged to Wallace following an attractive 42.
Wagg dropped Cobb at extra cover on 28 from Owen when Leicestershire were on 170. The ball was travelling quickly but Wagg’s frustrated reaction demonstrated he felt it was a chance he should have taken.
Glamorgan batsman Will Bragg spent most of the afternoon session off the field with a back spasm and was replaced by 12th man David Lloyd.
Cobb survived another life just before tea when Wallace dropped him on 46 from Allenby.
It was a hard low chance which Wallace managed to get one hand to.
Cobb, captaining the home side in the absence of injured West Indies star Ramnaresh Sarwan, shared an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 84 between with Niall O’Brien (46 not out) before rain intervened.
Toss
Glamorgan captain Mark Wallace won the toss and elected to field.
Team news
Glamorgan bowling pair Will Owen and John Glover make their first county championship appearances of 2014.
Australian Michael Hogan has returned home for the birth of his second child and will miss the next three Division Two games, while teenager Ruaidhri Smith is also not included from the side who won against Surrey and drew against Gloucestershire.
Good luck to the @GlamCricket boys today, there will be one eye on cricinfo.
— Michael Hogan (@Hoges31) April 27, 2014
Smith, who is reading Mathematics at Bristol University, is set to shortly sit his end-of-year exams.
The batting order was given another chance despite a poor performance against Gloucestershire with Chris Cooke and Ben Wright snapping at their heels.
Leicestershire named the same starting side 11 who played in the draw against Kent at Canterbury earlier this week. Ramnaresh Sarwan (back), Dan Redfern (finger) and Shiv Thakor (finger) remain on the sidelines.
Leicestershire G Smith, M Boyce, N Eckersley, A Robson, J Cobb (capt), N O’Brien, B Raine, R Taylor, J Naik, A Ireland, C Shreck.
Glamorgan: G Rees, W Bragg, S Walters, J Rudolph, M Goodwin, J Allenby, M Wallace (capt), G Wagg, J Glover, W Owen, D Cosker.
