Haggett impresses as Kent make inroads
Wednesday 12th June 2013
Kent's winter recruit Calum Haggett bagged three wickets for 38 runs to ensure the hosts made the most of a rain interrupted opening day in their LV= County Championship tussle with Glamorgan.
Haggett enjoyed two useful stints from the Nackington Road End after Glamorgan had elected to bat in overcast conditions and the Welsh county were 155 for four when stumps were drawn.
The Kent squad included on-loan Durham seamer Mitchell Claydon, with Matt Coles unavailable for personal reasons, but it was Haggett and Charlie Shreck who made good use of the new ball of this Division Two contest.
Shreck saw chances go down at first and third slip during a naggingly accurate opening burst, leaving Haggett to enjoy two breakthroughs in the opening 10 overs.
The former Somerset and England Under-19 seamer had Will Bragg caught behind by Geraint Jones when the left-hander shuffled tentatively forward to feather a catch to the wicketkeeper and make it 10 for one.
While Shreck toiled without success from the Pavilion End, Haggett celebrated a second scalp when Ben Wright shouldered arms to a delivery that held its line to peg back off-stump.
Former Surrey skipper Stewart Walters then joined up with Australian left-hander Marcus North to add an attractive 60 inside 20 overs for the third wicket.
On a pitch that appeared to be easing, neither man looked in trouble as acting Kent skipper Jones introduced first-change seamers Darren Stevens and Claydon.
Neither looked effective during their respective stints and it came as no surprise when Jones reverted to his opening attack half-an-hour before lunch.
The move paid almost immediate dividends when Walters (38) wafted at a wide half-volley from Shreck to be caught behind five minutes from the interval.
With the St Lawrence floodlights on and rain forecast, Glamorgan's North moved smoothly through to 46 with three boundaries to his name until the left-hander was given out caught at the wicket off Haggett. He appeared puzzled by the decision as he grudgingly departed the playing area.
Two rain breaks and drizzle either side of tea served as a pre-cursor to the weather that followed and by 5pm umpires Steve Garratt and Neil Mallender had little option but to abandon play for the day.