Leicestershire kept hopes of a result alive despite just four wickets falling on day two in Cardiff, after thriving with the bat in reply to Glamorgan’s 142-over first innings.

A century from Jake Weatherald, who subsequently retired hurt, and 79 from Rishi Patel motored the Foxes to 215 for 1 from just 48 overs at the end day two.

Earlier, Mason Crane fell agonisingly short of a century for his career-best 99 in Glamorgan’s 440 – the No.9 became the third batter to fall in the nineties after Carlson (95) and Dickson (90) on day one.

The Leicestershire opening pair bettered their 156-run opening partnership from The Oval in their last fixture, taking just 33 overs to make their free-flowing stand worth 167; the visitors trail Glamorgan by 225 in the first innings.

Crane and Timm van der Gugten continued where they left off from their 69-run partnership from day one to pass the century mark for the eighth wicket – both passing their half-centuries in the process; Glamorgan also added a third bonus batting point for the first time this season although 400 proved out of reach in the eight overs left eligible for bonus points.

Crane, on 88, was joined by Ryan Hadley whose batting average of four-and-a-half left for an anxious wait. A game of cat and mouse ensued with no bonus points to play for, a declaration feasible but a dry, flat wicket on which Crane picked off the singles and trusted Hadley to get over the line.

It was only when Leicestershire brought the field up for the first time since the ninth wicket had fallen that Crane faltered. With four balls remaining in Ajaz Patel’s 46th over, three were safely defended but the last induced a misread slog-sweep and Ben Cox, almost apologetically, removed the bails behind Crane’s lifted back foot to give the ‘keeper his seventh dismissal of the innings.

Whilst the pitch was shown to be flat by Crane’s comfort against the second new ball the evening prior, Hadley threatened initially; Weatherald survived a close lbw shout on just his second ball – followed by two more in Hadley’s next two overs to his compatriot.

With boundaries flowing comfortably, Leicestershire eased their way to 72 without loss from 16 overs of seam at tea.

Glamorgan turned to Crane, after the confidence showed with the bat, they would have hoped Patel’s 43 overs was the sign for a 16-over spell in the evening session to turn the tide.

With Andy Gorvin following suit of all the seamers by struggling to control from the other end, Crane became less effective. Both Weatherald and Patel enjoying their form of late to force the leg-spinner out of the attack.

The only success came from the part-time off-spin of captain Carlson, whose only five-wicket haul came as an 18-year-old on debut back in 2016. Patel’s top-edged slog-sweep denied him a second consecutive century when it looked as though only he himself could prevent it. Weatherald, on the other hand, played with minimal risk and faultlessly to ensure he passed three figures, doing so with a typical left-hander’s cut for four, after falling for 96 last time out.