SECOND XI MATCH REPORT: Birkman blast puts Glamorgan on the back foot
A three-wicket blast in 17 balls by Harry Birkman put hosts Glamorgan on the back foot after this delayed Second XI Championship match finally got underway at 2pm on the second day at Abergavenny.
After the whole of the first day was lost to rain, the wet conditions saw no play before lunch on day two. And there was a further delay after one ball of the 11th over when Birkman skidded into the crease and pulled out of bowling his second delivery due to the damp run-ups.
Play resumed after a stoppage of 90 minutes with Glamorgan opening pair Zen Malik and Tom Bevan, having been put in to bat, steadily advancing their partnership from the 23 runs scored earlier to reach 68 before seam bowler Birkman struck with the second ball of his second spell, nipping it back to have Bevan lbw for 38.
Two overs later Malik, whose only two boundaries struck were a brace of sixes, edged a ball from Birkman that seamed away to be caught behind by wicketkeeper George Lavelle for 29.
Birkman then made it three wickets in three overs by having Will Smale lbw for 14 with an almost identical delivery to the one that accounted for Bevan to put a dent in Glamorgan’s good start with the home side suddenly 87 for three.
Dan Douthwaite edged a defensive prod off left arm spinner Charlie Barnard to Jack Blatherwick at second slip for 10 and Henry Hurle edged a drive off pace bowler Charlie Parkinson to Harry Singh at third slip for 1 just before the close.
Asa Tribe, who drove nicely and employed some effective sweep shots, survived an edge through the slips on 16 to reach stumps unbeaten on 40 alongside Tom Norton (2 not out) with Glamorgan 140 for five from the 46 overs possible, Birkman ending the day with figures of three for 36.
TEAMS
Lancashire: George Lavelle (capt/wkt), Harry Singh, Cian Dickinson, Tom Aspinwall, Gennaro Reddy, Jack Blatherwick, Josh Boyden, Charlie Barnard, Haider Hussain, Charlie Parkinson, Harry Birkman, James Dunn.
Glamorgan: Zen Malik, Tom Bevan, Will Smale (wkt), Asa Tribe, Henry Hurle, Dan Douthwaite, Prem Sisodiya (capt), Tom Norton, Jamie McIlroy, Timm van der Gugten, Harry Podmore, Ben Morris.