 Gareth missed the pomp and circumstance of the Test in Cardiff
"Fancy covering some cricket over the opening week of the Ashes?" Who could refuse such a tempting offer? As I sat in the press box in Chelmsford watching Katherine Jenkins on TV, there was no hiding from the fact that I'd been misled. The County Ground is a wonderful place to watch cricket, but the second day of a mid-season LV County Championship Division Two game doesn't compare to the opening day of the Ashes.  Chelmsford has never seemed so far from Cardiff |
The high quota of portable radios on show confirmed that even the most die-hard supporter of county cricket kept in touch with events in Cardiff. The presence of two Essex players in the England team undoubtedly added to this interest. However, when the news came through that Ravi Bopara had joined Alastair Cook back in the pavilion with England stumbling on 90-3, many felt justified in their decision to stick with the bread and butter of English cricket. The Glamorgan players admitted that they would love to be at their home ground, but noted that winning in the Championship was the only thing on their minds. And their performance with the bat confirmed this determination to secure a first County Championship victory of the season. Five players reached half-centuries, with Mike Powell going a step further to post his 25th first-class ton.  | To produce the Test players you need the four-day game Glamorgan batsman Mike Powell |
The world's attention might have been in Wales, put Powell had no doubt that such an occasion would not exist without the county game. "All the money for the game comes from Test cricket," he said. "To produce the Test players you need the four-day game. "There is a lot of razzamatazz in the Twenty20 competition, but for me the four-day tournament is the most important version of the game." Twenty20 and the shorter forms of the game may bring in the punters, but both the players and the purists need something a little bit more substantial.
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