Glamorgan 2009 Season Review

[b]Final placings:
Championship Division Two â€" 5th;
FP Trophy â€" 4th Group D;
Twenty20 Cup â€" 5th Midlands Wales West group
Pro 40 Division Two â€" 6th

[/b]Glamorgan ended the 2009 season still in contention for a Championship promotion with 2 days of the campaign left, but also as a team whose progress in 4 day cricket was somewhat offset by poor displays in limited overs cricket. Nonetheless, for the long suffering faithful, there was enough quality in the batting, in particular, to suggest that better times are not too far away for the Welsh county.

2009 of course will forever be synonymous in Glamorgan’s history with the very successful hosting of its first Test Match, and not any old Test Match for Cardiff, the 1st Ashes Test, the final day of which set the tone for much of the excitement to follow.

That said there was much to comment on in the county game.

[b]Bat[/b]

It was Glamorgan’s batsmen who set the foundations for improved displays in the County Championship. 56 batting points was the best in Division 2 and matched the haul of Notts in Division 1. Impressively, 16 centuries were scored.

Captain Jamie Dalrymple led magnificently by example in his first year in the job with over 1,000 runs at an average of 50. Left handed opener Gareth Rees also past the 1,000 run milestone, and in both ways follows a fine tradition set by Alan Jones and Hugh Morris. He looks set to be a fixture on the Glamorgan scorecard for some years to come.

South Australian Mark Cosgrove was initially signed only as something of a stop gap, whilst we waited for Herschelle Gibbs to finish International duties. In the event, Cosgrove played 4 months of the season and clattered his way to an average of over 63 in just 9 matches. Glamorgan did not hesitate in re-signing him for the whole of 2010.

Gibbs himself was something of a disappointment by contrast. Staying for only 8 (expensive) weeks, a top score of 96 versus Gloucestershire only paid lip service to his undoubted ability. Maybe, a short stay for Twenty 20 as the 2nd ‘Overseas’ in 2010 is a better bet (sorry!) for the South African and the club.

Otherwise, the batting operated in fits and starts. Mike Powell nearly reached 1,000 (average; a solid 40), but could score so many more runs. Keeper Mark Wallace started and ended the season with centuries, but did little in between. The ever reliable Robert Croft contributed manfully and his 197 run 9th wicket partnership with Adam Shantry versus Leicestershire at Colwyn Bay, in which they both scored tons, set up a resounding innings victory.

[b]Ball[/b]

In the bowling department, Glamorgan relied heavily on spin. Dean Cosker’s left arm twirlers brought about 26 victims at under 30, whilst of course, the ‘Prince of Wales’, Mr Croft, was again top wicket taker (56 @ 30), which gave him another modern day double of 500 runs and 50 wickets. Croft passes 40 years of age next May, and fans are delighted that he should be around for at least 2 more years.

The seam bowling department was a cause of more concern, and was the main reason why only two 4 day games were won compared to six each by Gloucestershire, Derbyshire and promoted Essex.

James Harris is the best of the group, and his consistency was rewarded by a place in the England Lions team in August. Left arm seam and swing from Shantry gave him the best bowling average bar the spin twins, whilst the signing of South African Garnett Kruger from Leicestershire, for whom Glamorgan broke their anti-Kolpak taboo, was little short of a disaster. The paceman’s 9 wickets in the last game versus Surrey did not make up for a dreadful campaign. Prior to that game at the Oval, his 24 dismissals had come at nearly 50 a piece.

[b]White Ball[/b]

Unfortunately, Glamorgan’s progress in the County Championship was not mirrored in the shorter game. Two wins in each competition is a poor return for, in theory, an attacking and well balanced side.

The last 50 over campaign never really fired, although chasing down nearly 300 at Essex in early season with Rees scoring an unbeaten 123 should have led to better days.

A double over Gloucestershire in the Twenty 20 lit up a poor May and June, the victory at Bristol largely due to young batsmen Tom Maynard and Ben Wright, both of whom are excellent one day prospects, but presently look out of their depth in the longer game.

The pointless Division Two of the doomed Pro 40 tournament had to wait until September 14th to see a first Glamorgan win, and until September 27th for the second.

[b]Extras
[/b]
Probably the least predictable event of the season was the capture in August of all rounder Jim Allenby from Leicestershire. He balances the side well in the Adrian Dale mould, batting at 6 and bowling first or second change seamers. He is the kind of multi-dimensional cricketer so championed by Director of Cricket Matthew Maynard.

Elsewhere, another left handed batsman Will Bragg made some promising scores in all cricket, but seamer David Harrison may be on borrowed time, and seems to have lost his pace and bounce.

On the subject of which, all rounder Alex Wharf announced his expected retirement at season’s end after being dogged by knee injuries in recent years. In the middle of the decade, he thoroughly deserved his England ODI caps on the back of outstanding county displays with bat and ball.

The county also said goodbye to batting all rounder Mike O’Shea, whose career prospects never recovered from a drink driving altercation with a gate post, and ‘all rounder’ Ryan Watkins who was never good enough with either bat or ball, despite the occasional cameo in the shortest game.

Finally, not all appeared to be well behind the scenes at the end of September. Maoist Chairman Paul Russell publicly berated the team for “a very poor season”, clearly at odds with Dalrymple and Maynard, who felt good progress was being made. Worryingly, Russell refused to give a vote of confidence to Maynard.

[b]2010[/b]

With international cricket guaranteed at the Swalec Stadium until 2016 (one ODI and two Twenty 20s in 2010), there now really is no excuse for lack of investment in the team by the club hierarchy.

With Cosgrove signed up, and hopefully Gibbs to supplement him in Twenty 20, the search is on for a quick bowler who can deliver 50 wickets in the longer form of the game. Kruger isn’t the answer, and initial hopes that Simon Jones may return were dashed when news was announced of his move to Hampshire.

Promotion from Division Two of the County Championship is a realistic prospect for the first time in five years, and with the one day side looking better balanced, end of season displays with the white ball point to future improvements there as well..[b]Player of the season:[/b]
.Jamie Dalrymple.
The Captain carried the batting for substantial parts of the season in all cricket, and also took 20 useful Championship wickets as the under bowled third spinner. .[b]High[/b].Ashes Test aside, Cosgrove and Rees’s opening stand of 315 at the Oval in September, leading on to a total of 702, Glamorgan’s highest on English soil, takes some beating..
That said, Croft and Shantry adding 197 for the 9th wicket against Leicestershire in August was match turning, and failed by only 6 runs to match an 80 year old club record. .
[b]Low[/b][b].[/b]
Any match live on Sky Sports, for whom we seem to reserve our worst displays (Worcestershire away in the Twenty 20 was particularly embarrassing)..