Glamorgan Cricket: All-rounder Ruaidhri Smith gets new contract

  • By Nick Webb
  • BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Harry Trump

Image caption,

Ruaidhri Smith took a wicket with his opening ball in first-class cricket on his debut for Glamorgan in 2013

LV= County Championship: Glamorgan v Gloucestershire

Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff Date: Sunday 12 September Time:10:30 BST

Coverage: Commentary and report on BBC Sport website & app; reports on BBC Radio Wales

All-rounder Ruaidhri Smith has signed a new one-year contract with Glamorgan after an injury-hit season.

Smith, 27, has played just five T20 Blast matches in 2021 because of side and hamstring injuries.

He is included in a Championship squad for the first time since August 2020, against Gloucestershire on Sunday, 12 September.

"It's been a frustrating spell with injuries," said Smith.

"But when I've been fit, I've felt I've bowled well and put in some strong performances for the team.

"It's always been a dream to represent the county and I look forward to continuing that next season."

Glasgow-born Smith, a Glamorgan academy product, has made four appearances for Scotland.

He has played 30 first-class games, 30 T20 matches and 18 one-day games and his career highlights include Glamorgan's most economical T20 spell of four for six in 2018, and a limited-overs hat-trick against Pakistan A.

Smith was prevented from playing during the county's One-Day Cup triumph by a hamstring injury after bowling the first ball of their warm-up match against Wales.

He has since completed two second-team championship games to earn the chance of a recall, but has missed out on Scotland's T20 World Cup squad.

Glamorgan look to recover from two successive innings defeats against Durham and Essex as they face Gloucestershire, themselves beaten heavily by Essex last time out.

"It'll be the same top six or seven for the next game or two, Ruaidhri Smith and Jamie McIlroy come into the squad, we'll see what the pitch is like and make a selection from there," said captain Chris Cooke.

"It's been two bad games, but we've had a good four day campaign and we don't become a bad team overnight. It's not from a lack of effort, guys are giving absolutely everything, maybe we're trying too hard and maybe we can free up and enjoy the next two games."

Glamorgan v Gloucestershire (from): Rutherford, Lloyd, Selman, Byrom, Carlson, C Cooke (capt, wk), Douthwaite, Salter, van der Gugten, Carey, Hogan, Reingold, Smith, McIlroy.