Riley takes five but Glamorgan in control

Jim Allenby became Glamorgan’s second centurion of the season as the Welsh county set up a charge for victory on the third day of their LV County Championship Division Two match against Kent at Cardiff.

Glamorgan were homing in on their second win of the four-day season after amassing 527 all out in their first innings, an overall lead of 274, before Kent were reduced to 137 for five by the close. They still needed another 137 to avoid an innings defeat.

Allenby followed in the footsteps of Jacques Rudolph who had registered the county’s first century of the summer on the second day.

It looked as if there would be a third player to three figures but Chris Cooke fell four runs short of registering his maiden Championship 100.

Allenby and Cooke’s fifth wicket partnership of 212 – a Glamorgan record against Kent – put their side in the driving seat after they had resumed on 337 for eight – a lead of 84.

With some late runs from Graham Wagg (66) Glamorgan were bowled out for 527, an overall lead of 274.

Cooke and Allenby guided Glamorgan to maximum batting points with their partnership and in the process broke the record for the county’s fifth wicket against Kent, beating the 186 put on by Tony Cottey and David Hemp at Abergavenny in 1994.

Allenby’s century arrived off 132 balls with 13 fours and two sixes out of 414 for four – a lead of 161. The 200 partnership arrived two overs later in 40 overs.

But in the space of three overs both batsmen perished. First Allenby was trapped leg before by Mitchell Claydon without adding to his 100 leaving Glamorgan 419 for five – a lead of 166.

And, agonisingly four short of his maiden Championship century, Cooke dragged Riley on to his stumps to leave the home side 427 for six.

After Ruaidrhi Smith became Riley’s fourth victim Graham Wagg and Andrew Salter took the county to 500 before Salter gave Joseph a return catch off a full toss.

Riley’s hard work was rewarded with a five-wicket haul – despite conceding a total of 157 runs – when he bowled Wagg for a useful 66 and the innings was brought to a spectacular end when Brendan Nash pulled off a fine one-handed catch at extra cover to remove Hogan.

It did not get much better for Kent as they found themselves eight for two in the fourth over.

A delighted Wagg dismissed Daniel Bell-Drummond, who played on, with the first ball of the second innings.

And at the other end Rob Key was caught behind via an inside edge off Michael Hogan .

More trouble befell Kent as Fabian Cowdrey scored nine for the second time on his Championship debut before being bowled by Hogan leaving the visitors in a dire position at 25 for three.

There was more trouble for Kent before the close. Brendan Nash was caught by Ben Wright off Andrew Salter and Ben Harmison went two overs before the close caught at slip by Allenby off Cosker.