Glamorgan v Essex, CC Div 2, Cardiff, 02 - 05/08/11

Glamorgan narrowly failed to close out victory on Day 4 of their Championship clash with Essex despite the best efforts of Dean Cosker with 5 wickets on the final afternoon (scorecard).

Highlights of the match for me were centuries from Alviro Petersen (Glamorgan) and Owais Shah (Essex), class acts who look a cut above Division 2.

Some images from the match

Gareth Rees and....

...Petersen put 184 on for the first wicket

Petersen passes 100...

...a fine player

Graham Napier

Mike Powell defends

Essex batting on Day 2

Shah defends...

...batting patiently.....

...and passing 100 on Day 3

Iron Maiden, Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, 01/08/11

There's live shows, and there's Iron Maiden live shows.

Consistently hated by the press, adored by their fans, Iron Maiden stand as the backbone of British heavy metal music for over 30 years and their powers show no signs of abating.

With a successful album, The Final Frontier, under their belt in 2010, Maiden have been trotting the globe since to huge audiences and this night in Cardiff was no different. You could not have crammed another person into the CIA safely.

This will explain why the pics are not up to normal standard - anyone who's tried to stand near the front of Maiden show will understand, staying on your feet is battle enough!

Dave Murray and Adrian Smith

Bruce

Murray, Janick Gers and Steve Harris

Set list
Satellite 15... The Final Frontier (video)
El Dorado
2 Minutes to Midnight
The Talisman
Coming Home
Dance of Death
The Trooper
The Wicker Man
Blood Brothers (video)
When the Wild Wind Blows
The Evil That Men Do
Fear of the Dark (video)
Iron Maiden
The Number of the Beast
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Running Free

Glamorgan v Nottinghamshire, Swansea, 31/07/11

Although it ended in defeat to a strong Nottinghamshire outfit, the CB40 match at Swansea finished off an excellent 5 day festival by Glamorgan down at the old St Helen's ground.

The old place isn't the force it was, but there aren't many finer settings for cricket in the world than the sea front ground at Swansea.

I can remember when a score 160 off 40 overs used to be competitive. Those days are long gone as Notts rattled up 281, with Glamorgan falling 21 runs short on 260. 541 runs in 80 overs? Not bad eh? (scorecard)

Simon Jones

Samit Patel

Gareth Rees...

..on his way to 90