Called-up Crane has Glam in a real spin

MASON Crane marked his maiden England Test call-up with three wickets as Hampshire closed the gap on Glamorgan at the top of the Natwest T20 Blast South Group.

Leg-spinner Crane was picked for the Test squad to face the West Indies later this month before leaving Glamorgan in a twist. James Vince then completed the thrashing with his 21st T20 fifty to ease Hampshire to an eight-wicket victory.

Glamorgan won the toss and batted on a slow pitch but Liam Dawson put aside his disappointment of failing to return to the England fold by bowling Aneurin Donald third ball.

And the left arm spinner bagged the huge wicket of danger man Colin Ingram, who had smacked Gareth Berg over the fence, in the following over as Chris Wood held on at long on.

Then Crane took over. The 20-year-old showed off his incredible googly to bowl opener Nick Selman to further pin Glamorgan.

Crane then dragged Chris Cooke down the track to sky a top edge to Gareth Berg at cover before snatching a third scalp a ball later on his dream day by having former South Africa Test star Jacques Rudolph stumped.

The home grown leg-spinner ending with figures of three for 21, to boast a combined analysis of five for 36 with spin twin Dawson.

Another Hampshire academy graduate, keeper Calvin Dickinson, again impressed with his quick hands on debut to stump Craig Meschede off Shahid Afridi – leaving the visitors 65 for 6.

The Welsh side were heading for a sub-100 total before Andrew Salter crashed his highest T20 score of 37 – which included a huge six over long on - to help his side score 16 from the final over and set Hampshire 119 to win.

Dickinson opened on his first professional appearance but departed in the first over as he was lbw to Ingram, while attempting a hoicked sweep.

But from there James Vince and Tom Alsop looked in fantastic nick pummelling the ball to all angles of the Ageas Bowl in a 68-run stand for the second wicket.

Alsop in particular punched back-to-back powerful on-drives straight down the track.

But after reaching 28 he picked out Marchant de Lange off Ingram on the long-on boundary .

At the other end, skipper Vince was caressing the ball through holes in the field with pure guile and appeared unstoppable as he reached a 32-ball fifty - eventually reaching an unbeaten 60.

At the halfway point, Hampshire only required 26 – and they reached the target with 37 balls to spare to go second and within a point of Glamorgan.