Maiden 50 From Jon Hughes Leads Fightback

Maiden 50
By Edward Hall
May 8 2002

A fight back from Jon Hughes and Robert Croft left the Championship game against Worcestershire interestingly poised by the close of the opening day’s play.

A familiar failure from the top order had left Glamorgan on 106 for 6 after being put in at New Road. Andy Bichel, Worcestershire’s Australian import, removed both Glamorgan openers with only 2 runs scored, David Hemp out first ball and James only lasting one ball longer. But the new look middle order fought back, mainly through Michael Powell’s half-century and useful contributions from Ian Thomas, batting at number 3, and Adrian Dale. But when Kabir Ali struck, by removing Powell and Mark Wallace in successive balls, the situation was looking dire.

Cue the fight back from Jon Hughes, playing only his second first-class game, and Robert Croft, demoted to number 8 in this game behind six specialist batsmen and the in-form Mark Wallace. With Matt Maynard out injured, and the top order not producing many runs, the team for this game contained six batsmen, as opposed to the five played in the previous Championship game. This opened a door for Ian Thomas and Jon Hughes. Hughes impressed in his only appearance last summer in the final game of the season, and after that performance, and certainly after today’s knock, he has jumped above Keith Newell in the pecking order. Hughes’s 74, scored from 111 deliveries, was fluent batting when the team were in a difficult position, and certainly bodes well for the future. His partnership of 106 in 103 minutes transformed the innings, which previously, had looked like yielding no batting points. But Croft (59) and Kasprowicz (33) meant the score was nearing the luxury of 3 bonus points when Kasprowicz was bowled by Kabir Ali (the pick of the bowlers with 5 for 80).

In reply to Glamorgan’s score of 286, Worcestershire’s opening pair saw out the final ten overs of the day, closing with 29 on the board.