By David Williams

Colin Ingram has revealed that simplicity has been the secret of his resurgent form after he struck a career-best 206 not out for Glamorgan.

Ingram became the first batter this summer to reach 1,000 first class runs as he plundered his fifth century of the season, and his highest score, to put Glamorgan into a commanding position at the end of the second day against Leicestershire as they led by 180 runs.

It was the first time the South African had reached 1,000 first class runs in a season and after more than six hours of batting he passed his highest score of 190.

It had taken him a mere 13 innings to crack the 1,000 runs mark – the quickest by a Glamorgan batter since Majid Khan in 1972.

Shortly after, he celebrated reaching his double hundred with a leap in the air as he took a single off the spin bowling of Louis Kimber in the 118th over.

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He had received 312 balls and hit 23 fours and one six.

He eventually carried his bat throughout the day to remain 205 and ensured the Welsh county picked up three batting points.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Ingram.

“This season has seen a number of firsts for me and I just tried to keep it really simple and work in partnerships and push the game forward.

“We have talked about trying to get in front of the game and after yesterday’s great bowling performance we needed to knuckle down and push ourselves forward.

“I’m not someone who pays a massive amount of attention to records and I was totally unaware that I became the quickest Glamorgan player to 1,000 runs.

“I’ve touched an average of 40, which has taken me 19 years, to tick off a 200, which is something I’ve always wanted to do, makes me very happy.

“With the field out and the ball getting soft I just wanted to take the runs that were on offer. We’re happy with the state of the game, but there are still two big days ahead.”

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Leicestershire’s England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed, who took 2-95 in his 30 overs said: “We stuck at the task all day, but Colin Ingram batted very, very well and they had some great partnerships.

“We had to keep it as simple as possible and to bowl, to straight fields. With the sun out on a hybrid pitch we bowled pretty well and I think there is still a bit in the pitch if you bowl consistently.

“I’ve worked very hard on my bowling in the last month or so and so it was nice to get 30 overs under my belt and get a bit of reward.”

On one of the nicer days of the summer at Sophia Gardens, Ingram made hay to add to his previous Championship scores of three-figures this year against Middlesex (132 no), Yorkshire (113), Sussex (170) and Middlesex again (105).

Leicestershire seamer Ian Holland was the most successful bowler on both the day and in the innings as he ended with 4-88 from his 25 overs.

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Reham Ahnmed picked up two wickets.

Ingram helped Kiran Carlson take the overnight score of 114-2 up to 201-3 in a stand of 174 for the third wicket.

Carlson reached his half-century in the sixth over of the morning and then punched England all-rounder Ahmed to the boundary to bring up the 150 partnership in the 47th over.

Not to be outdone, Ingram hit Ahmed back over his head for six two balls later. Ingram’s century arrived three overs later (150 balls, 15 4s, 1 6) and it was another Ingram boundary that took Glamorgan past 200 runs a few overs later.

Carlson departed in the 55th over thanks to a classy piece of glove work by Peter Hanscomb as he stumped him off the bowling of Ahmed. It meant the home side reached lunch at 201-3.

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Holland had been Leicestershire’s best bowler on Day 1 and he returned to the attack after lunch to pick up two more wickets as he removed Chris Cooke (47) and Dan Douthwaite (7) either side of the tea-interval. His dismissal of Douthwaite at least brought up a second bowling point, but it was a real slog all day on a hybrid pitch that offered little or nothing to the bowlers.

Earlier on, Ahmed trapped Billy Root (6) lbw. None of this deterred Ingram, who kept grinding out the runs. His 150 came up in the 82nd over with a tickle to leg and by tea he had steered his side to 318-5 at tea.

He put on 86 for the fifth wicket with Cooke and then 39 with Timm van der Gugten for the seventh. Van der Gugten became Tom Scriven’s first victim in his 20th over when he was trapped lbw.

That made it 370-7 and he partnered with Mason Crane to safely steer Glamorgan past the 400 mark in the 114th over of a slow paced innings that saw the home side score 87 in the morning session, 117 in the afternoon and then 113 after tea.

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