David Harrison enjoys birthday treats at Worcester

David Harrison celebrated his 22nd birthday with a spell of 4-6 in 22 balls as Worcestershire were dismissed for 237 in 63 overs on a rain affected opening day of the Championship match at New Road. However, it was not all joy for the young seamer, as he was one of two Glamorgan batsmen to be dismissed, as his team ended an eventful day on 0-2.

After an hour`s play had been lost due to morning drizzle, Robert Croft won the toss and elected to bowl first. Stephen Peters and Anurag Singh added 44 in 14 overs before lunch, but the game changed complexion immediately after the interval as Glamorgan`s change bowlers - Darren Thomas and David Harrison - were introduced into the attack.

Thomas made the breakthrough with his second ball as Singh edged an away swinger to wicket-keeper Mark Wallace. Then Harrison took two wickets in his opening over, as Graeme Hick drove a slower ball loosely to cover where Alex Wharf took a good catch diving forward, and then Ben Smith was caught by Mike Powell at first slip, as Worcestershire slumped to 46-3.

Peters and Vikram Solanki then added 18 runs before Harrison dismissed both batsmen in the space of seven deliveries, as Solanki was caught by Matthew Maynard at third slip, and Peters was caught behind by Wallace. A rearguard action was mounted by David Leatherdale and Gareth Batty, who added 101 either side of tea for the sixth wicket. With Leatherdale dropping anchor, Batty played some crisp drives through the off side, before reaching his half-century with two sixes in three balls from Robert Croft.

Batty brought up the century stand with another lofted drive over long-off, but in the next over he mistimed a drive against Wharf and was caught by Ian Thomas at cover point. Powell then took a fine catch at slip as Stephen Rhodes got a thick edge, trying to run his first ball from Croft down to third man. Leatherdale duly reached his first half-century of the season, but he then fell in identical fashion to Batty, as he drove a slower ball from Wharf into Ian Thomas` hands in the covers.

After a further stoppage because of bad light, Kabir Ali launched a counter-attack, hoisting Alex Wharf for two sixes over long-on, before hitting the same bowler over the sightscreens at the Diglis End, and planting David Harrison into the sponsors boxes at the New Road end to bring up the 50 partnership. His merry stand for the ninth wicket with Matt Mason was worth 54 in 10 overs when Mason chipped Wharf to Croft at mid-off, and Wharf swiftly finished off the innings by clean bowling Nantie Hayward to finish with 4/63.

Glamorgan had an awkward seven overs to negotiate in gloomy light, and they lost two wickets in the opening over, as Jimmy Maher was caught behind by Rhodes as he tried to leg-glance Hayward`s second delivery, and then two balls later, David Harrison was bowled by Hayward. However, the umpires adjudged that the light had deteriorated before Kabir Ali could start the second over, and Glamorgan finished the day, that had seen 38 overs being lost, still 237 runs behind with 8 wickets still standing.