Post by caspday on Sept 14, 2012 22:17:51 GMT -5
They were farcical circumstances in Official Steelers Jerseyswhich to end zyhaa915 a season, never mind a long and distinguished career. But Robert Croft has always appreciated the quirky side of county cricket and at least the anticlimactic conclusion to his last Glamorgan appearance will give him plenty to talk about in retirement.Perhaps it had all been going too smoothly, as the 42-year-old former England off-spinner followed the 51st five-wicket haul of his first-class career in the first innings by taking another couple in the second.
Mike Powell, his former Glamorgan Authentic Steelers Jerseysteam-mate, was caught at slip off the arm ball that has served Croft so well for more than two decades, and then Charlie Shreck, having rather impolitely lofted a rare six over wide long-off, holed out to Nick James attempting a repeat.Croft, still wearing his sunglasses, was hugged by most of his team-mates, brandished his Glamorgan cap to acknowledge the applause of a decent last-day crowd, and was then given a guard of honour and presented with a framed cricket shirt as he returned to the pavilion.
Glamorgan were left to score onlyBen Roethlisberger Jerseys 61 to complete their third Championship win of the season, with 20 overs remaining plus the possibility of six more in the extra half hour. But then, after the strapping young Kent seamer Matt Coles had taken two wickets to complete an impressive personal campaign and Shreck weighed in with another to reduce Glamorgan to 36 for three, the umpires Trevor Jesty and Steve Garrett ruled that the light was no longer playable.
After 15 minutes of muttering from spectators Mike Wallace Jerseysand media alike, they ushered the players back from the pavilion, even though the light did not seem any better. But after five balls from Shreck, and a couple of bouncers from Coles, they again deemed that conditions were unsafe.Rob Key, the Kent captain and an old mate of Croft, was clearly playing hardball, understandably with his team still clinging to the slimmest chance of promotion.
However, Key's hopes of taking the game Troy Polamalu Jerseysinto a fourth morning were scuppered by a slight improvement in the light, allowing Glamorgan's fourth-wicket pair to knock off the 25 runs required to scramble clear of the bottom of the Division Two table – and to ensure that Kent will stay in the second tier for a third consecutive year.Croft conducted one last interview with Edward Bevan, the BBC Wales broadcaster who has observed the vast majority of his career with Glamorgan and England – then left an autumnal Sophia Gardens.