MATCH REPORT: Crane career-best puts Glamorgan in charge
Today's match report presented by C&C Insurance Brokers
A career-best 6-19 by Mason Crane led a superb bowling effort from Glamorgan that has put the visitors firmly in the ascendancy after two days at Emirates Old Trafford.
Having been bowled out for 261 in their first innings of this Rothesay County Championship division two promotion battle, second-placed Glamorgan hit back strongly to dismiss fourth-placed Lancashire for 137 before reaching the close on 95-2 in their second innings to lead by 219 runs.
The day turned Glamorgan’s way during a dramatic afternoon session following the introduction of Crane into the attack. The leg spinner ran through the Lancashire middle and lower order after producing an outstanding 10.3 over spell from the Sir James Anderson end that was chiefly responsible for the hosts losing their last seven wickets for 30 runs.
Anderson, on his 43rd birthday, took two early wickets in one over when Glamorgan began their second innings but a steadying partnership of 71 between Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson has the visitors well-placed to push home their strong advantage tomorrow.
Following a delay of one hour due to rain, Lancashire took just eight deliveries to wrap up the Glamorgan first innings for the addition of one run to their overnight score of 260-8, Tom Bailey trapping Crane lbw for 9 and Anderson having Ned Leonard caught behind for 4.
In testing, seaming conditions Asitha Fernando had early reward trapping Luke Wells lbw for 2 and it took some determined and, at times, dogged batting from Keaton Jennings and Josh Bohannon in a partnership of 45 to prevent further damage to the Lancashire reply.
It took a superb one-handed catch by Asa Tribe at bat/pad to dismiss Jennings for 28 off spinner Ben Kellaway shortly before lunch and Glamorgan made further inroads soon after the break, Fernando rewarded for a fine spell when having Bohannon lbw for 32.
The introduction of Crane into the attack transformed the afternoon as the leg spinner produced a devastating burst of 5-12 in 41 balls on a wicket that has taken spin from the start to put the visitors firmly in charge.
If the first of the five was a touch fortunate, Marcus Harris hitting a full toss to Kellaway at mid-on for 30, the rest were a result of some excellent leg spin that the Lancashire batters failed to master.
Phil Salt edged behind for 8, Matty Hurst (21) top-edged a sweep that deflected off wicketkeeper Chris Cooke to Colin Ingram at slip, Chris Green drove a catch back to the bowler for 2 while Tom Hartley was lbw three balls later.
That left Lancashire reeling on 132-8 by the tea interval and Glamorgan wrapped up the innings five overs after the break when Fernando gained a third lbw verdict against Bailey and Crane took his sixth after George Balderson chipped to Kiran Carlson at midwicket.
Leading by 119 runs, Glamorgan lost Zain ul Hassan bowled for 12 shouldering arms to Anderson who then took a smart, tumbling catch off his own bowling five balls later to dismiss Tribe for 11.
Northeast (26 not out) and Carlson (43 not out) steadied matters with their unbroken partnership during the final hour of the day to leave Glamorgan in a strong position going into day three.
“Not the day we wanted today, obviously,” said Interim Head Coach Steven Croft.
“There’s still a chance tomorrow if we bowl well, bowl them out and chase something that's around 300-350.
“I think it's taken a little bit of spin, and if I'm honest I don't think both sides have played the spin particularly well in the first innings.
“I thought we could have been a little bit more proactive and got out of first gear a lot more, I wouldn't say it was easy at times, but I thought we were probably a lot better than we showed today.
“We looked a little bit timid at times and didn't put any pressure back on. At the same time if you do want to soak it up a bit, you're entitled to, but it looked like we got stuck in the middle a little bit, and it’s a bit of a disappointing day really with the bat.
“I thought it's been a really good cricket wicket, it's had carry, it's taken spin from day one and I think it probably needs that with the Kookaburra ball, and especially here.
“There'll still be a lot of belief in the lads. From the games I've seen this is probably the first little jitter we've had today, but I'm sure we'll come back strong tomorrow and come back fighting.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Barry Mitchell
