Kiran Carlson’s rapid double hundred saw Glamorgan through to a first County Championship Division One for 21 years.

Hundreds for the team’s captain, and opening batter Zain-ul-Hassan saw Glamorgan rack up 536-7, with Hampshire unable to muster a reply beyond 250 in either innings, seeing the away side through to an innings and 69 run victory.

Carlson strummed 209 from 232 balls, scoring 28 boundaries with three sixes, as the Glamorgan captain put on a mammoth 318-run partnership with Zain-ul-Hassan for the second wicket.

When opener ul-Hassan was finally dismissed via a run out from Fletcha Middleton, the Welsh county had firmly taken control of proceedings.

Further damage from Colin Ingram and Sean Dickson brought Glamorgan up to a formidable score of 536-7 declared.

From there, it was up to the bowlers to take the twenty wickets necessary to secure victory.

Hampshire started their reply in leisurely fashion, before Mason Crane and Timm van der Gugten combined to spark a collapse that saw the home side slip from 125-3 to 214 all out.

Crane ended with 3-31, and the ever impressive van der Gugten, 4-53.

With a massive lead, Carlson opted to enforce the follow on, and Glamorgan’s bowlers were tasked with going again.

Left arm quick Jamie McIlroy got the Welsh side off to the perfect start, bowling Nick Gubbins before Hampshire had put a run on the board.

From there, the wickets were shared between Crane (3-48), McIlroy (2-39), Ryan Hadley (2-36), and van der Gugten (3-65).

At 132-6, Hampshire threatened to collapse in a heap, but captain and wicketkeeper Ben Brown stood firm, compiling a dogged 96 in partnership with bowlers Scott Currie and Codi Yusuf.

Eventually, though, van der Gugten breached his defences, and securing the 23-point victory for Glamorgan.

Not only was it the Welsh county’s first victory in Division One for 21 years, it was also their first victory over Hampshire since 1991.

Most impressive was the manner of their victory, by an innings and away from home, with Glamorgan moving up to fifth in the congested Division One table.

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