Marnus Labuschagne century secures draw for unbeaten Glamorgan at Sussex

The Australian went to 192 while Luke Wells took five wickets in an entertaining yet inevitable final day at Hove

Hove (fourth day of four): Glamorgan 186 & 466, Sussex 420 & 47-1 - Match Drawn

Scorecard

Marnus Labuschagne made a career-best 192 to help Glamorgan maintain their unbeaten record in the Specsavers County Championship as they drew with Sussex at Hove.

The Australian reeled off his third Championship century since joining the county at the start of the season as he posted a new county record of 291 for the second wicket with Nick Selman, who was out for 99.

After their departure wickets fell regularly with leg-spinner Luke Wells finishing with a career-best 5-63 as Glamorgan were eventually bowled out for 466 just after tea. That left Sussex 27 overs to score 233 at 8.03 runs an over. 

Sussex had nothing to lose but Phil Salt (5), the one batsman who could have given them hope of chasing their unlikely target, was caught off the splice when Marchant de Lange dropped short. Wells and Harry Finch took their score to 47 for 1 when the players shook hands on a draw with 14 overs remaining.

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Glamorgan had begun the final day on 218 for 1 and Labuschagne and Selman quickly passed Glamorgan’s previous second-wicket record of 252, set by Matt Maynard and David Hemp against Northamptonshire in Cardiff in 2002.

Labuschagne batted for just under five hours until he got a thin under-edge to wicketkeeper Ben Brown to give Wells his first wicket. He hit 31 fours and faced 244 balls.

Selman had played the sheet anchor role to perfection but within touching distance of his hundred he was leg before to a full-length delivery just after David Wiese had taken the new ball. Selman, who had carried his bat in Glamorgan’s first innings, batted for 343 minutes, faced 252 balls and hit ten fours.

Sussex claimed two more wickets before lunch. Billy Root (2) edged Mir Hamza to slip and Wiese got some extra bounce and Kieran Carlson (0) was caught behind.

^{Wells responded with five wickets but the result was beyond doubt}

But any hopes they had of ending Glamorgan’s innings quickly disappeared in a flurry of attacking shots from Dan Douthwaite, who struck ten fours in making 63 off 55 balls, the first 50 coming off just 34 deliveries. He lost David Lloyd (17) when Wells returned to the attack and turned one past his bat but Douthwaite had lodged his Championship best when he edged Wells to Brown.

The lead was 182 at that stage but Glamorgan’s last three wickets added a further 50 runs with Tom Cullen finishing unbeaten on 28. Graham Wagg (25) was taken at short fine-leg off a top-edged sweep at Danny Briggs before Wells completed his five-for after tea with Marchant de Lange and Timm van der Gugten both lbw playing back.

Sussex take 13 points and Glamorgan 8. 

Courtesy of the ECB Reporters Network

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