Cricket: Ganguly Rumbles After Grumbles

Retired cricketers like nothing better than to grumble about the decline of playing standards, so when Sophia Gardens hosted its annual Glamorgan old boys' reunion yesterday they were in their element.

As Glamorgan disintegrated on a pitch that remained full of runs, the 40-odd former pros sipping beer in the Cathedral Suite must have been tempted to lend a hand. They could hardly have done much worse.

Glamorgan have endured some dark days on their return to the First Division but, until Sourav Ganguly lit up the evening with an incandescent run-a-ball century, this was the darkest yet. They resumed their first innings on 175 for three with David Hemp and Ganguly going well and the follow-on target of 419 not out of the question. However, both went quickly for 69 and after lunch the trickle of wickets turned into a torrent.

Ten fell in the session before tea and as the captain Robert Croft trudged back to the pavilion for the second time the old boys bit their tongues and remembered the good times.

Kent, by contrast, could barely contain themselves. Their disappointment at being docked eight points for a substandard pitch in Maidstone last week - their appeal will be heard on Thursday - has eased by the session, and yesterday they were inspired by a new-ball burst from Amjad Khan.

With Glamorgan following on 210 behind, Khan took three wickets in his first two overs, including Michael Powell, bowled through the gate for the second time in the match. Matt Elliott edged Martin Saggers to Niall O'Brien, who continued to dazzle behind the stumps while Geraint Jones is on England duty, and it was 34 for five when Mark Wallace wafted at Andrew Hall's first ball.

Croft was bowled by Darren Stevens playing across the line, but Ganguly had spent part of the lunch break reviewing his first innings with Glamorgan's video analyst and berating himself for the slightest technical hitch, and there was "more to come", he promised.

He reached his second fifty of the game in only 59 balls, at which point he started to throw the bat. James Tredwell disappeared first over long-off, then on to the roof of a marquee beyond midwicket.

Hall ended a century stand by bowling Darren Thomas for 17 and soon found himself on a hat-trick after removing David Harrison and Dean Cosker. But Andrew Davies hung around long enough to allow Ganguly to reach a stylish century.