GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S Benny Howell has not played any Specsavers County Championship cricket this season, and has only opened the innings occasionally in 2012 when he joined the county from Hampshire.

But when play ended early on Wednesday afternoon in the second division clash with Glamorgan at the Swalec Stadium, the 29-year-old all-rounder was only four runs away from a second championship century, the first made against Leicestershire two years ago.

Gloucestershire will resume on 161-1, weather permitting in Cardiff, still trailing by 281, with Howell on 96 and James Bracey on 45.

Howell adapted well to his new role, and with Thornbury’s Chris Dent in fluent form, the opening pair put on 53 in 15 overs, before Dent sparred at one from Ruaidhri Smith to give wicketkeeper Chris Cooke a straightforward catch.

Howell was then joined by twenty-year-old James Bracey, a local product from Winterbourne, and after playing himself in, the wicketkeeper batsman played some elegant shots through the offside.

The second wicket pair have added 108 for the second wicket, and with the slow pitch offering anything to pace or spin, and with further rain likely to cause interruptions over the final two days, a draw is the likely outcome to this end of season encounter.

Earlier Kiran Carlson was dismissed nine runs short of becoming Glamorgan’s youngest double centurion, when he chipped Jack Taylor to mid - on.

The teenager scored 191, an innings that lasted 7 hours 23 minutes and during the course of his innings, Carlson faced 319 balls, striking 26 boundaries and 2 sixes.

fter losing two wickets in the final 15 minutes at the end of the first day, Smith helped Carlson add 97 runs for the eighth wicket, before Jack Taylor took two wickets in three balls, Smith edged Taylor’s arm ball to slip, before Marchant De Lange was trapped leg before without scoring.

After losing two wickets for three runs at the end of the first day, Smith and Carlson joined Carlson in a productive 97 run partnership for the eighth wicket. Smith made 38, before he became the first of Jack Taylor’s victims within three balls.

Smith edged Taylor’s arm ball to slip, then Marchant De Lange was trapped LBW attempting to heave the off spinner to mid- wicket.