GLAMORGAN seamer James Harris continued his love of bowling against Gloucestershire to help his county into a dominant position at the Swalec Stadium.
Harris picked up the fifth five-wicket haul of his career with an impressive return of five for 39 from 25.2 overs, including seven maidens as Gloucestershire were dismissed for 188.
The England Lions star, who has just returned from a winter tour of the West Indies, missed the opening defeat against Leicestershire last weekend through illness but continued where he left of last season after he took 63 championship wickets.
Harris has also enjoyed a prolific record against Gloucestershire with three of his five-wickets hauls coming against this county, including his record-breaking feat of 12 victims in a game four years ago.
But the hosts conceded 94 runs for the final two wickets, compared with 82 by Leicestershire last week against the Welsh county.
This time Glamorgan, minus hamstring victim Graham Wagg, were frustrated by the defiant eighth-wicket partnership of 77 between Jon Lewis (56) and Vikram Banerjee (25) before they were both dismissed by Harris.
This handed Glamorgan a slender first-innings lead of 14 which the home batsmen improved to 199 as they raced to 185 for three at the close yesterday.
After the hosts had been dismissed for 202 in their first innings, opener Gareth Rees led the charge in the second with a fluent 68.
Openers Rees and captain Alviro Petersen set the tone in Glamorgan’s second innings with positive batting from the outset. Petersen raced to 36 before he was trapped lbw again by Ian Saxelby.
It was the third time in four innings Petersen has fallen to this dismissal as he continues to adjust to county cricket conditions in comparison to the South African wickets he is used to.
Rees, who had been on a pair, brought up his first 50 of the season in 71 balls including nine fours.
The Llanelli left-hander started to flourish with a trademark reverse sweep for four and six off Banerjee in successive balls.
But the 26-year-old was dismissed in Will Gidman’s first over when he was trapped lbw, the same mode of dismissal as the first innings.
Mike Powell, who looks short on confidence and whose place in the middle order will be under threat, failed again when he was bowled by Gidman for 10 after dragging onto his own stumps.
Mike Powell, who looks short on confidence and whose place in the middle order will be under threat, failed again when he was bowled by Gidman for 10 after dragging onto his own stumps.
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