Glamorgan in pole position as wickets tumble again in Cardiff
GLAMORGAN have left themselves well-placed to claim a second LV=Insurance County Championship win of the season on another eventful day in their match against Lancashire in Cardiff.
The visitors started the day the happier of the two teams, but a collapse let Glamorgan back into the match as Lancashire were bowled out for 164 in their second innings.
Joe Cooke and David Lloyd put on the highest stand of the match so far as Glamorgan reached the close at 137 for three with 51 runs needed for victory.
While Glamorgan will feel that victory is not too far away, the regularity with which wickets have fallen in this match means that an unlikely Lancashire win cannot be ruled out.
The Glamorgan first innings lasted just two balls on the second morning with Michael Hogan run out without any addition to the overnight score. Glamorgan’s 150 all out gave Lancashire a lead of 23 on first innings and with the difficulty of run scoring throughout this game that seemed significant.
Throughout the Lancashire second innings batsmen were once again getting out almost as soon as it looked like they were set with Alex Davies making the only significant contribution with 47.
Lancashire had taken the lead to 132 when a dramatic collapse of five for 15 set them back. This period included two fantastic fielding moments. First Michael Neser took an outstanding diving catch at third man to dismiss Liam Livingstone. Then Marnus Labuschagne ran out Luke Wood, who had yet to face a ball, with a direct hit from cover point.
Lancashire had gone from 109 for three to 124 for eight but thanks to some late order runs from Saqib Mahmood and Danny Lamb they managed to reach 164 all out, setting Glamorgan 188 runs to win. Neser was the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers, claiming four for 53.
This left Glamorgan with the task of making the highest total of this match for victory, but the stand of 72 between Cooke and Lloyd made that look achievable. Cooke made a career best 38 as the bowlers struggled for wickets for the first time in this match.
Both Cooke and Lloyd were dismissed before the close, but Marnus Labuschagne reached the close on 32 not out.
■ No play was possible on the third day of the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s. Rain feel steadily throughout the day, with the umpires