COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Cheltenham:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Glamorgan 216 & 283-7, Gloucestershire 243
Glos 4pts, Glamorgan 4pts
Match scorecard

Cosgrove's ton is his fourth in the Championship this season

Australian opener Mark Cosgrove smashed a superb ton to give Glamorgan the edge after day two of an intriguing tussle with Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.

Cosgrave plundered an entertaining 123, including 19 fours, to take the visitors to 283-7 and a lead of 256.

James Franklin, with a chanceless 59, and Chris Dent (45 not out) saw Gloucestershire build a first-innings lead of 27 from an overnight 145-5.

Jim Allenby took three of the wickets to post career-best figures of 5-59.

Glamorgan had to wait 10 overs for their first wicket, courtesy of left-arm spinner Dean Cosker, who trapped nightwatchman Steve Kirby lbw.

Franklin progressed steadily to a 108-ball half-century, with seven fours, but he holed out to Tom Maynard at long-on off Robert Croft.

Allenby then dismissed both Jon Lewis and Vikram Banerjee, caught behind and lbw respectively, in quick succession.

But Gemaal Hussain played a fine supporting role to Dent's thrilling cameo (45 not out) to add 24 for the last wicket before he too was lbw to Allenby.

Dent's unbeaten knock came from just 42 balls and included three sixes, one of which was hit straight down the ground off Croft and the other two hoisted over square leg and mid-wicket off Cosker.

Glamorgan made a bad start to their second innings as Franklin trapped Gareth Rees lbw and bowled Tom Maynard to make it 23-2 in 10 overs.

But powerful left-hander Cosgrove made the most of the short square boundaries and quick outfield to score his 123 from 124 balls.

Ben Wright and Cosgrove added 61 before Wright fell victim to Lewis before an excellent fourth-wicket partnership of 99 between Cosgrove and skipper Jamie Dalrymple.

Cosgrove reached his 103-ball century just before tea. And, such was his dominance, he had scored 102 from 150-3 at the end of the afternoon session.

The total had moved on to 183 when when Cosgrove chopped a delivery from Hussain on to his wicket.

Hussain then cleaned up Dalrymple's stumps when the former Middlesex man was attempting an off-drive.

Allenby could not follow up his heroics with the ball with a notable innings and was caught at second slip for 15 off the bowling of Steve Kirby.

James Harris was the last home wicket to fall but Mark Wallace (51 not out) and Croft negotiated the final few overs to build an overall lead of 256 and set up what looks likely to be a thrilling conclusion on the third day.

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