Tribe and Glamorgan hold Yorkshire to opening round draw

GLAMORGAN CCC marked their return to the Rothesay County Championship Division 1 with a battling draw against Yorkshire at Sophia Gardens.

After earning promotion from Division 2 last season for the first time since 2005, Asa Tribe and his Glamorgan teammates welcomed English cricket giants Yorkshire, led by former England Test star Johnny Bairstow, into the top flight.

The White Roses are the most successful team in County Championship history, boasting 32 outright titles compared to Glamorgan’s three, the last of which came in 1997.

Sent into bat after losing the toss, Glamorgan’s innings got off to a rocky start. Jersey-born Tribe, opening alongside Eddie Byrom, managed just 11 from 29 balls before Bairstow caught him behind off seamer Jack White, leaving the Welsh side reeling at 28-4.

Tribe, who recently turned 22, has been tipped by many to be capped for England this summer Picture: HUW EVANS PHOTOGRAPHY

But the middle order, led by England Lion Ben Kellaway (52) and veteran Colin Ingram (103), steadied the ship. Lower-order contributions from Timm van der Gugten (40) and Mason Crane (51) pushed Glamorgan past 300, finishing on 302 in 120.3 overs.

Yorkshire’s reply was steady, with early wickets for Glamorgan pegging them back, including the dismissal of Finlay Bean for 4. However, the experience of Adam Lyth and Sam Whiteman kept the scoreboard ticking.

Overseas fast bowler Ryan Hadley impressed on debut with 3-62, while leg-spinner Mason Crane spun a masterclass, claiming 5-55 from 16.2 overs to bowl the visitors out for 226.

Back in control with a 76-run lead, Glamorgan’s second innings saw Tribe and Byrom get off to a solid start before Tribe fell again, trapped LBW by Dom Bess for 19.

Ingram once more led the charge with 75, supported by captain Kiran Carlson (53) and Kellaway (28*), taking the declaration to 218-5 and setting Yorkshire 295 to win from around 70 overs.

Yorkshire fought back valiantly, with Lyth narrowly missing a century with 97, but Glamorgan’s bowlers kept them honest. Hadley (3-35) and Crane (3-99) again proved key, though the visitors held on for a draw, finishing 239-7.

It was a confident start for Glamorgan in their first Division 1 outing in over 20 years. The side now looks ahead to a tough away clash with reigning champions Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, starting Friday at 11am.