2018 county cricket previews: Glamorgan

In partnership with the Cricketers’ Who’s Who, here’s Wisden’s profile of Glamorgan for 2018.

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FORMED: 1888
HOME GROUND: The SSE SWALEC, Cardiff
CAPTAIN: Michael Hogan (Championship), Colin Ingram (RL50 and T20)
2017 RESULTS: CC2: 7/10; RL50: 5/9 South Group; T20: Semi-finalists
HONOURS: Championship: (3) 1948, 1969, 1997; Pro40/National League/ CB40/YB40/RL50: (2) 2002, 2004; Sunday League: 1993

The lowdown

Last year was just the second time Glamorgan had made it to T20 Finals Day – the first in 13 years – and only a narrow semi-final defeat to Birmingham Bears denied the county a shot at glory. That was the good news.

In the Championship they were again woefully short of runs, with only the 22-year-old Nick Selman passing 700 for the season. Former captain Jacques Rudolph has retired and Will Bragg was forced to call time at the age of 31 due to illness but Australian left-hander Shaun Marsh has signed for two years and forms a quartet of international cricketers upon whom much depends.

South African Kolpak Colin Ingram – ‘Kingram’ to the locals – will lead the side in the shorter formats after another stunning season in limited-overs cricket, while the indefatigable Australian seamer Michael Hogan has taken on the Championship captaincy full time. Marchant de Lange, the South African quick, completes the set. But Glamorgan will need some of their Welsh protegés to kick on if they are to be a force this summer.

Transfers

IN: Shaun Marsh (Aus)
OUT: Jacques Rudolph, Will Bragg (both RET)

Head coach: Robert Croft

Robert Croft took over from Toby Radford after the 2015 season. Within his 23 years as a Glamorgan player the off-spinner played 21 Tests and 50 ODIs between 1996 and 2001. He was given an MBE in 2013 for services to cricket after finally hanging up his boots with a record of 903 appearances, 1,175 first-class wickets and 51 five-wicket hauls. His former teammate Matthew Maynard has been appointed as a batting consultant after ending his three-year spell as Somerset’s director of cricket.