Bamber boosts Bears as Glamorgan crumble
Ethan Bamber took the first five wickets as Glamorgan were bowled out for 69
- Published
Rothesay County Championship, Division One, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (day one)
Glamorgan 69: Bamber 5-28, Barnard 3-5
Warwickshire 154-3: Young 60, Yates 35, Kellaway 2-39
Warwickshire 3 points, Glamorgan 1 point
Seamer Ethan Bamber took five wickets as Glamorgan were bowled out for 69 by title-chasing Warwickshire, who replied with 154 on day one of their County Championship match in Cardiff.
Bamber ripped through the home side's top order and took the first five wickets before captain Ed Barnard took three of his own to tighten their grip on the contest.
Colin Ingram was top scorer for Glamorgan with 19 in what was a dismal batting display by the Welsh County.
The hard-hitting Will Young (60) and Ryan Yates (35) helped established a lead of 85 with seven wickets to spare to cap off a dominant first day performance by the visitors.
Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport
- Published28 August
Glamorgan made two changes bringing in Jack Hope-Bell for his first class debut in place of Connor O'Riordan, while Jamie McIlroy replaced Dan Douthwaite to make his first red ball appearance since May.
Warwickshire remained unchanged from their comfortable win over Hampshire last time out and started strongly after rain had delayed the start of play.
As the sun broke through in south Wales seamer Bamber took two swift wickets. Hope-Bell and captain Kiran Carlson were both bowled for a duck in the first three overs as the home side slumped to 3-2 in Cardiff.
Despite winning the toss on what looked like a reasonable batting pitch, the home side had no answer to the incredible Bamber, who put Warwickshire firmly in control, remarkably taking the first five wickets of the match.
The experienced Colin Ingram briefly steadied the ship for the Welsh county with four boundaries before being bowled for 19 - Glamorgan's only total in double figures - by Bamber.
The wickets continued to tumble for the hosts as Warwickshire's Barnard produced a decisive display claiming the wickets of Chris Cooke and Timm van der Gugten who were both lbw.
Pakistan international Mir Hamza was bowled for a duck by left-arm spinner Manav Suthar to close a disastrous innings for the home side who were all-out in one session.
Warwickshire continued to prosper after tea when an impressive opening stand of 65 from Yates and Young tightened their grip as Glamorgan's bowlers struggled to find the cutting edge.
The Welsh county eventually found a much needed breakthrough when Yates, who hit six boundaries, top-edged a sweep from Ben Kellaway and was comfortably caught by Mason Crane.
The spinner soon found his second wicket of the afternoon when Dan Mousley was dismissed for five when his skewed drive was caught at mid-off.
Asa Tribe was forced off the field after being hit on the helmet by a fierce shot from Young while fielding at short leg, but returned after medical checks.
The visitors continued their momentum as Young, aided by Sam Hain (25 not out), hit nine boundaries on the way to a fluent 60 before being bowled by Hamza.
Warwickshire remain in complete control of proceedings and will look to maximise their batting haul with title rivals Nottinghamshire and Somerset also starting their games well.
Warwickshire bowler Ethan Bamber said:
"I got a good amount of good fortune. The pitch seamed a bit, I think 'just repeat good balls' but actually I was lucky to return those figures, I didn't bowl my best at all.
"There was a lot down leg-side, a lot of half-volleys and a wicket off a no ball but there was enough good stuff in between.
"It's a slow wicket and on those surfaces you get a bit of moisture then they dry out, and we're lucky it did a bit early on and it'll get easier.
"It's nice to contribute and the boys ended the period at the end well when (Glamorgan) bowled well."
Glamorgan coach Richard Dawson told BBC Sport Wales:
"Not good enough, it was challenging with the bat. We're backs against the walll and we've got to limit them as much as possible and fight to try to get back in the game.
"The pitch wasn't green, the sun was out and the weather was going to be fair for the rest of the day. We've not come off amazing form but we backed ourselves to get in the contest with the bat. It's easy in hindsight to say you could have bowled.
"When you're not coming off the back of many runs, you want bat on ball and that was evident in some of our dismissals where we're trying to get the scoreboard going.
"It comes into your decision-making and execution and they're the things that let us down, though they bowled well and Ethan bowled really well."
