Cricket: Glamorgan in control

Glamorgan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .320 and 368-8 dec

Derbyshire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .283 and 14-0

MANY more innings like this and Matthew Maynard could once again find himself the object of team selectorial attention.

He played just one Test match for England before his part in the rebel tour to South Africa put an end to what was widely predicted to be a long and successful international career.

But given that fellow rebels Jarvis, Emburey and Gatting have received the official pardon and assuming that a rebel tour to either Serbia or Iraq is an unlikely prospect, Maynard can begin to feel more confident about his international prospects.

In scoring his second century this season on a wicket offering some help to the not inconsiderable pace attack of Dominic Cork and Devon Malcolm, Maynard revealed that he has added a sense of responsibility to his undoubted talent. Not that the cavalier has turned foot soldier, but between his 20 dashing boundaries he showed a respect for the goodish ball that has not always been apparent previously.

Maynard's innings was, however, just one of two excellent hundreds to be scored on the day. A few overs earlier, his captain, Hugh Morris, another batsman with a short-lived Test career, reached figures that were the equal of any produced by Maynard in their 155-run partnership. Though he scored 46 runs less, Morris's century was reached from five fewer balls and included three more boundaries.

Rain may have impeded Glamorgan's progress for 10 minutes at the start of play but Devon Malcolm did not stand in their way for long. Following his dismissal, the Glamorgan batsmen capitalised on their slender first innings lead of 37 as Derbyshire's seam attack struggled to find the 'variable' patches on a pitch of variable bounce.

Allan Warner took the only two wickets to fall in the morning session - one a fine tumbling catch by the part-time keeper Paddy Bowler filling in for the injured Karl Krikken - as the scoreboard rattled along at four runs an over.

In the afternoon, Dominic Cork, called up earlier in the week for the one-day internationals, took three wickets including the prize scalp of Maynard, but by that stage the damage had already been inflicted on the home team.

If there was one disappointment for spectators, if not for Derbyshire bowlers, in an otherwise entertaining day's cricket, it was the brief, three-run, appearance at the wicket of I V A Richards.