The Only Way Is Up

The only way is up for Glamorgan. We could split hairs and admit that, actually, the Dragons aren’t bottom of the table in the embryonic stages of the campaign. But based on three results alone, Things Can Only Get Better – and if you can’t hear D:Ream playing at the back of your mind right now, you’re not trying…

The margins of defeat have been 52 runs, 130 runs and two wickets in that order. It’s tempting to jump in with an ill-conceived rant when things aren’t going well, but you can end up looking stupid. Just ask Tottenham fans when the gap between them and Arsenal was 10 points in their favour not so long ago.

But enough about football. It’s the cricket season, right?

A recurring theme so far this season for Glamorgan has been the inability to put runs on the board. Marcus North is currently the most anticipated Welsh arrival since Brunel brought the railway to town. And I’m pretty sure no-one was saying that as Australia came to the SWALEC Stadium for the 1st Ashes Test in 2009.

Hampshire Comment: Glamorgan vs Hampshire

Hants (156 & 204/8) beat Glamorgan (103/9 dec & 256) by 2 wickets at SWALEC stadium, Cardiff.
 
In sport, winning is everything but Hampshire will know that it would be folly to gloss over the cracks en route to victory in Cardiff this weekend.
 
Hampshire beat Glamorgan with Hamza Riazuddin scoring the winning runs off the penultimate ball of the match, but one couldn't help feeling that it should have been a lot easier for Hampshire, particularly after a day one in which Hampshire utterly dominated.
 
A young bowling attack has been assembled at the Ageas Bowl for this summer as the likes of Dominic Cork, Simon Jones and Imran Tahir all moved on. A new attack has been built around the likes of Danny Briggs and David Balcombe, with Riazuddin also being given a chance of first team action.
 
And this investment in youth has already paid dividends in the opening two games of this season, with Balcombe in particularly fine fettle. He excelled again in Cardiff, taking 5/33 in Glamorgan's first innings as the home side faltered to 103/9 shortly before close on day one.

David Balcombe's 'Ridiculous' Run of Form

It's not so long ago David Balcombe was merely a peripheral figure in the Hampshire squad, unable to stake a claim for first team action. Having made his debut for Hants in 2007, Balcombe subsequently spent much of the proceeding 3 seasons playing in the lower Surrey leagues, before going on loan to Kent last season.

And it was at Canterbury last year that something finally clicked for the 27 year old, who started his cricketing career playing for Durham UCCE in 2005. His last two games for Kent last season yielded 19 wickets at 13.37 runs a piece, form that made his permanent employers Hampshire welcome him back to the Ageas Bowl with open arms.

Of course relegation for Hants last term meant a summer clear out of playing staff was needed, which worked in favour of players like Balcombe as it meant a guaranteed chance of first team action in Division Two and in Balcombe's case, he has taken it with both hands.