Gallian leads by example for Nottinghamshire

Paul Franks was the hero of the hour, though, after his nine-wicket match haul ripped the heart out of the visitors' batting on two separate occasions.

Glamorgan's second innings came to an ignominious end this morning with the loss of the last four wickets for just 15 runs, and, despite battling efforts from Matthew Maynard and Adrian Dale, a lead of just 96 was merely going to delay the inevitable.

Guy Welton's 115 on Wednesday had given the home side the upper hand, and they never looked like relinquishing it on the way to their third championship win of the season. Gallian and Welton put on 73 for the first wicket this afternoon, and they looked like winning the game themselves before Welton played his first false shot, edging Kasprowicz to Mark Wallace behind the stumps.

Paul Johnson lasted just three balls, failing to score before thrashing a cut straight to David Hemp in the gully. Usman Afzaal blasted 11 off seven balls as the hosts closed in on their target, including one huge six pulled behind square off Simon Jones, but fell with three more runs needed, holing out to Dale in the deep.

Gallian saw his side home, though, to complete their most accomplished four-day performance of the season so far.

Resuming on 69 for three, the day had started badly for the Welsh side with the loss of two wickets inside the first hour. Mike Powell added just two to his overnight 18 before being trapped on the crease by Franks, and Australian Kasprowicz had moved on to 27 when he edged an attempted drive off Andy Harris to Chris Read behind the stumps.

At 100 for five Glamorgan were still in arrears and in deep trouble, but an enterprising sixth-wicket stand of 96 between Maynard and Dale threatened to claw them back into the match. Maynard was in sublime form, his flowing strokes betraying the pressure of the situation he was facing. He smashed a Franks long-hop through the covers for four to bring up his half-century, and 44 of his 55 runs came from boundaries.

Harris came in for some particularly hostile treatment, with Maynard quick to pull or hook anything dropped marginally too short. Dale was more circumspect, moving on to 36 with the minimum of fuss, and while the pair were together Glamorgan maintained hopes of an unlikely recovery. But they both departed in the space of five balls to trigger a collapse which handed the match to the home side.

Dale was beaten all ends up to be bowled by Richard Logan, and Maynard was deceived by a similarly well-pitched delivery from Franks. Franks was the pick of the Nottinghamshire attack, trapping Robert Croft lbw for two and finishing with figures of five for 51 to add to the four wickets he took in the first innings.

The Glamorgan tail-enders did little to help themselves, though, with Darren Thomas yorked by Logan for six and Jones (nought) edging an extravagant swipe off the same bowler to Read to finish the innings.

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