Billy Root makes the running for Glamorgan on rain-shortened day

Glamorgan 109 for 4 (B Root 51) vs Yorkshire

Glamorgan opener Billy Root scored a half-century against a Yorkshire side including his older brother Joe during a weather-affected opening day of the Vitality County Championship clash at Headingley.

Left-hander Billy, aged 31 and almost two years Joe’s junior, posted a measured 51 off 95 balls before lunch, with Glamorgan going on to close at 109 for four from 41 overs having elected to bat first.

Rain forced a three-and-a-half-hour delay from 1.45pm, before Yorkshire struck twice quickly in the delayed and mini evening session. Bad light then meant no play beyond 6pm.

Yorkshire are playing two frontline spinners in Dan Moriarty and Dom Bess on the pitch used for last weekend’s draw against Derbyshire. Neither bowler played in that fixture, but both claimed a wicket apiece here.

It is actually the first time since 2013 that Yorkshire have played two spinners in the same Championship match at Headingley. Adil Rashid and Azeem Rafiq played in an August draw against Warwickshire that season, striking once between them.

Moriarty and Bess matched that haul in the morning session, the former striking with the last ball before lunch when the left-armer had Root caught at short-leg, leaving Glamorgan 92 for two after 32 overs.

This is not a venue known for suiting spin, but the hosts are desperate to secure a first win in their fifth match of the season to give their Division Two promotion bid lift off.

Earlier Coad trapped Eddie Byrom lbw – 18 for one. Root drove nicely against seam and swept and reverse swept against spin during a 74-run stand with captain Sam Northeast, who went on to make 29 before being run out in the evening.

Root versus Root has happened three times previously in county cricket, be it with Billy playing for either Nottinghamshire or Glamorgan. In the build-up to this game, England’s Joe described the experience of meeting his brother as a “horrible situation”.

But both have done well against each other previously.

In the two Championship matches they played – both draws between these two counties – in early 2021, Billy scored a century at Headingley and Joe a 99 at Cardiff.

The first main piece of action in this fixture saw Joe fail to hold a tough first slip catch going to his right off new ball seamer Coad with Billy on six.

Coad then had Byrom lbw stuck on the crease before Root got an inside-edge onto pad against Moriarty and looped a catch up to Fin Bean at short-leg.

Off-spinner Bess is playing his first match of the season after some encouraging form in Yorkshire’s second team.

When play resumed at 5.30pm following afternoon rain, Northeast was run out backing up two balls into the delayed evening, leaving Glamorgan at 96 for three in the 34th over.

Matthew Fisher got a hand on a crisp Kiran Carlson drive and deflected it onto the stumps.

Bess then had Carlson caught and bowled off an inside-edge with the first ball of his second over, his first of the session – 97 for four.

Moriarty finished with one for 29 from 15 overs and Bess one for 14 from four.

Both sides are searching for their first win of 2024.

While Yorkshire have drawn three and lost one, Glamorgan have drawn all three and came into this fixture bottom of the embryonic Division Two table.

The day’s play was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of Worcestershire spinner Josh Baker, whose death at the age of 20 was announced on Thursday.

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