Glamorgan beat Hampshire for first win of season
Glamorgan earn their first Championship Division One win for 21 years, beating Hampshire by an innings and 69 runs, despite Ben Brown's 96.
Rothesay County Championship, Division One, Utilita Bowl (day four) Glamorgan 536-7 dec: Carlson 209, Ul Hassan 143; Prest 2-37 Hampshire 214 & 253: Brown 96; Crane 3-48, Van der Gugten 3-65 Glamorgan (23 pts) beat Hampshire (1 pt) by an innings and 69 runs Match scorecard Glamorgan completed a County Championship victory over Hampshire for the first time since 1991, and their first Division One win for 21 years, with an innings-and-68-run triumph on the final day at Utilita Bowl. The Welsh county only needed five wickets to secure 23 points on the south coast, and did so with more than a session to spare, despite Ben Brown holding them up with a magnificent 96. Glamorgan's most recent of only four Division One victories came against Gloucestershire in 2005 but the manner of this victory - in a game they dominated from the moment they lost the toss - demonstrated a side which look very much at home back in the top tier.
It was set up by Zain ul Hassan and Kiran Carlson's colossal 318-run partnership, before Timm van der Gugten and Mason Crane tore through Hampshire on a 15-wicket third day. But they had to be patient as Brown stroked the ball around and eventually found team-mates to stick with him. In a similar match against Worcestershire last season, Brown batted the entire day to save a draw for his side but Felix Organ was undone by Jamie McIlroy nipping one back to pin him leg-before less than 15 minutes into the day.
Scott Currie stuck around with Brown for over an hour before leg-spinner Mason Crane and had him lbw, and then Kyle Abbott caught, by a juggling first slip. It took another half an hour after lunch before Codi Yusuf had his off-stump taken away by Ryan Hadley. With only number 11 Sonny Baker left for company, Brown tried to bring up his century with a big drive but missed and Timm van der Gugten hit middle stump to confirm the win.
Hampshire remain rock bottom of the table, with three home defeats already - and they have not won at home in the Championship since the opening round of last season. Report by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay. Hampshire captain Ben Brown: "It is a really poor performance all round.