LANCASHIRE v GLAMORGAN

A pugnacious innings of 78 by David Lloyd helped Glamorgan to 117-3 when rain stopped play for the fourth time on the opening day of their LV=Insurance County Championship match against Lancashire at a blustery and overcast Emirates Old Trafford, with just 39 overs possible.

Evening Update

There were still 48.3 overs remaining when play eventually resumed at 1545pm with the Old Trafford floodlights still on. Danny Lamb and Luke Wood continued the bowling with Lloyd gloving the latter just out of the reach of the outstretched gloves of wicket-keeper Dane Vilas before more convincingly guiding the left-armer through the slips for the second four of the over. However, it proved to be a brief passage of play as after a quarter of an hour, the rains returned with Glamorgan on 111-2.

After a 90 minute delay, play resumed at 1730pm with James Anderson returning to the attack in tandem with Luke Wood. David Lloyd guided Wood to third man for three but in Wood’s next over the opener  fended off a lifting delivery with wicket-keeper Dane Vilas scrambling around towards backward square-leg where he completed a diving catch. Kiran Carlson joined Root but in the next over, the rains returned as the players left the field again at the end of the 39^th over and did not return.

Afternoon Update

In the 22 overs which were possible this morning after a delayed start, Glamorgan had reached 65-1 at lunch with both David Lloyd and Marnus Labuschagne mixing watchful defense with brutal attack as they sought to build a decent platform after the Welsh county had opted to bat first. Jimmy Anderson returned to the attack after the interval and, for the first-ever time, bowled to Labuschagne as England’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket locked horns with the Australian. It took just five balls for Anderson to find the edge of Labuschagne’s bat with home captain Dane Vilas completing a regulation catch as the bowler claimed his 990th first-class wicket.

His departure came with the total on 82 after a flurry of fours at the other end as David Lloyd struck four boundaries in Saqib Mahmood’s opening over of the session during which the opening batsman also reached his fifty from 80 balls. With Billy Root as his new partner, and the Manchester floodlights also coming on, Lloyd delicately steered Danny Lamb to third man with Root also clipping Anderson for four to fine-leg.

The light drizzle which had been falling for several overs then intensified as the players left the field during the 32nd over. The precipitation eased around 3pm with the umpires deciding to take an early tea at 3.20pm and to resume play at 3.40pm with 50.3 overs remaining in the day's allocation.

Lunchtime Report

Glamorgan made three changes to their line-up after their two-day victory over Kent last week at Cardiff with Michael Neser making his much-awaited debut as the Queensland all-rounder replaced the rested Michael Hogan. Dan Douthwaite also returned with James Harris having completed his loan spell from Middlesex, whilst Andrew Salter also replaced Lukas Carey with the Pembrokeshire-born spinner playing his first Championship game since 2019 at a venue where the slower bowlers were in the ascendancy during the previous match.

Jimmy Anderson also made his first appearance in the competition since 2019, with the England bowler swiftly into action as Glamorgan opted to bat first after winning the toss with the match getting underway at 1125 after a shower had briefly delayed the start. David Lloyd greeted Anderson by emphatically driving his second delivery through the covers before doing the same to Saqib Mahmood, but only after nearly being bowled as the ball ricocheted off his body and gently rolled back onto the stumps without dislodging the bails.

He celebrated his good fortune by again drilling Anderson square of the wicket for four before on-driving Mahmood to long-on for three as well as deftly gliding Anderson to third man for another boundary. Joe Cooke, who made a century a fortnight ago against Lancashire 2nd XI, was then struck on the helmet by Mahmood but he showed no ill effect as he regally off-drove the next ball to the ropes prior to steering the bowler through the slip cordon for four to third man. However, later in the over Mahmood bowled Cooke with the total on 35-1 as Marnus Labuschagne made his way to the middle.

Luke Wood replace Anderson and was imperiously pulled for four by Lloyd, before punching Danny Lamb through backward point when the all-rounder entered the attack. After a period of quiet reconnaissance, Labuschagne opened his account by square-driving Wood to also bring up the Glamorgan fifty shortly before lunch, prior to smashing the final two balls of the session to the ropes.

Contrasting half centuries from Dan Douthwaite (61) and Callum Taylor (58) helped Glamorgan reach a respectable total of 344 on the second day of their rain-affected LV=Insurance County Championship match against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford. In reply, the home side were 22-0 at the close of play.

Close of Play Report

Dan Douthwaite’s departure to the final ball before tea meant that Michael Neser was Callum Taylor’s new partner when play resumed – without the assistance of the Manchester floodlights - with the visitors on 271-7 from 93.1 overs and in sight of a third – or perhaps even a fourth - batting point. Taylor opened his shoulders to pull Luke Wood for four before Neser, who had attended the same secondary school on the Gold Coast in Australia as his colleague, clipped Danny Lamb through mid-wicket for three followed by a pair of assertive drives through the covers.

Taylor continued his valuable innings by flicking Lamb to fine-leg for four before Matt Parkinson returned to the attack and was driven through extra cover by Taylor as he completed his 50 from 127 balls. He added a fourth boundary to his tally by deftly late-cutting Lamb for four before Neser got a leading edge to a drive against Parkinson and was caught by the fielder at short extra-cover.

314-8 then became 314-9 as Saqib Mahmood returned to bowl after having treatment on his ankle and, with his third ball, removed Taylor l.b.w. there was then a flurry of boundaries from the last pair as Timm van der Gugten on-drove Parkinson for six before Andrew Salter pulled Mahmood for four to mid-wicket. The Dutchman then lofted the spinner for six over long-on before clobbering Mahmood to mid-wicket for four. With a handful of balls in which to secure their fourth point, van der Gugten then miscued another expansive blow and was caught at mid-on.

This left Lancashire with 18 overs to face before the close under blue skies and plenty of sunshine with Alex Davies and Keaton Jennings facing the frugal new ball pairing of Neser and David Lloyd. Jennings nearly played a ball onto his wicket from Neser with the opener having to resort to using the sort of footwork seen at the other Old Trafford to stop the ball from bouncing onto the stumps.

Davies also survived a loud appeal for l.b.w. against the bearded Queenslander whose first four overs for his new county were all maidens. Van der Gugten replaced Lloyd at the Brian Statham End whilst Douthwaite had a trundle at the James Anderson End, but Lancashire’s opening pair remained resolute and saw their side through to 22-0 at the close, with Glamorgan not conceding a boundary.

Teatime Report

Play resumed at 1340pm with the floodlights still on, after a rain delay either side of lunch and the loss of a further two overs. Danny Lamb and Saqib Mahmood undertook the bowling duties with the Welsh county on 162-5 before Chris Cooke struck the first boundary of the session as he guided Danny Lamb to third man. Together with the watchful Callum Taylor, the Glamorgan captain scored chiefly in one’s and two’s as his side moved closer towards a first batting point.

Taylor duly found the ropes as he swatted Mahmood high over point before Matt Parkinson’s leg spin was employed in the 64th over. Mahmood then jarred his ankle in his fifteenth over and left the field for treatment with Josh Bohannon completing an eventful over that saw Cooke depart to a smart catch in the gully by Liam Livingstone as the visiting captain unfurled a fierce cut.

190-6 saw Dan Douthwaite arrive in the middle with the all-rounder on-driving Parkinson for four as Glamorgan reached the 200-mark at the end of the 72nd over, before benefitting from four overthrows as he and Taylor hurried through for a quick single. Douthwaite then biffed Bohannon over mid-wicket for four before straight-driving Parkinson for a straight six.

The leg-spinner continued in the attack in tandem with Liam Livingstone as Lancashire eschewed the opportunity of taking the new ball immediately it was available, with the seventh wicket pair continuing to watchfully accumulate. The new ball was duly taken after 85 overs with the visitors on 237-6 as Anderson and Wood returned to the fray.

With Taylor dropping anchor at the other end, Douthwaite thick-edged Anderson to third man before pulling Wood for six as Glamorgan reached the 250-mark and a second batting point. Douthwaite then clubbed Wood to long-off for four before straight-driving the left-armer for his seventh boundary as he completed his fifty from 95 balls. He celebrated before tea by drilling Wood through the covers for another four but in the final over before tea, he departed for 51 as he was trapped l.b.w. by Anderson.

Lunchtime Report

Yesterday was all about decisions and choices with the Senedd elections taking place across Wales, plus the announcement of the British and Irish Lions rugby party for their upcoming tour of South Africa. The Glamorgan cricket management had also made some important decisions – firstly by resting Michael Hogan before secondly opting to bat first at an overcast and blustery Old Trafford after Chris Cooke won the toss.

Despite plenty of cloud cover and moisture in the air, four breaks for rain plus the presence of James Anderson in the Lancashire side, Glamorgan reached 117-3 on a day shortened to 39 overs with David Lloyd making a typically pugnacious 78 before being dismissed shortly before the final stoppage of the day. When play resumed this morning, under clearer skies, Billy Root and Kiran Carlson were looking to build on the foundation which the North Walian had helped to create, with 104 overs potentially available both today and tomorrow in an attempt to make up for the lost time.

Anderson and Luke Wood resumed the bowling duties, with Carlson square-driving the latter for four in the second over. However, Anderson struck with his seventh delivery of the day as he trapped Root l.b.w. with a fine delivery which jagged back in sharply to the left-hander. Cooke opened his account with a brace of singles before nonchalantly clipping Anderson to the ropes at square-leg. However, he was dropped next ball by Luke Wells at first slip with the tall fielder failing to grasp an ankle-high edge.

After half-an-hour’s play, rain started to fall as the players left the field during the 47th overs. Play resumed at 1215pm under sunny skies with a further dozen overs shaved off the daily quota. Cooke enjoyed a second moment of good fortune as he edged Wood through the slip cordon before square-driving the bowler for a more assured boundary.

Carlson brought up the 150 by driving Danny Lamb through extra-cover but in the next over he departed after fending off a brute of a ball from Wood into the hands of Anderson in the gully. With the Manchester floodlights also coming on, Callum Taylor nearly departed in identical fashion to the next delivery with a diving Josh Bohannon at backward point unable to cling onto the ball. Cooke also guided Wood to third man for four before another heavy shower engulfed the ground as an early lunch was taken after 55 overs.

No play was possible on the third day of Glamorgan’s LV=Insurance County Championship match against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford with the home side on 22-0 in reply to the Welsh county’s first innings total of 347.

Morning Report

From a meteorological point of view, the Championship season has - so far - been one of the driest of recent times. For much of April, a cell of high pressure sat over the country bringing sunny days plus cool and frosty nights, with none of the four rounds of Championship matches so far having any days where there has been a total washout.

Such a scenario seems unlikely now that the atmospheric patterns have changed with a large low pressure system making its way today from west to east across the U.K. with weather forecasters last night issuing dire warnings about heavy rain for much of the day. Their gloomy prognosis proved to be correct with rain falling over the Old Trafford ground from early morning and with the precipitation continuing to fall steadily, the umpires delayed the start of play.

By noon, a series of puddles had developed on the outfield, adjacent to the protective sheets and hovercover which was protecting the pitch, its surrounds and the bowler's run-ups. Lunch was taken at the normal time of 1300pm and, with rain still falling and forecasts for it to continue for the rest of the day, the umpires called off play at 1340pm.

Glamorgan’s rain-ravaged LV=Insurance County Championship match against Lancashire ended in a draw at a murky and overcast Emirates Old Trafford with the home side ending the day on 301-9 as the Welsh county secured a full clutch of bowling points.

Close of Play Report

A brief shower and bad light had forced the players off the field at 1530pm for an early tea following Josh Bohannon’s departure for 53 with Lancashire on 208-5 in the 78th over, and the game having become a scrap for bonus points. The overhead conditions did not improve until 1635pm by which time a further 12 overs had been shaved off the daily allowance.

However, the new ball was only nineteen balls away as Dane Vilas and Luke Wood made their way back to the middle to face the spin of Callum Taylor and Marnus Labuschagne. Vilas swept the latter for four before Wood drilled him to long-on for another boundary with Lancashire on 229-5 when the new ball was taken. Dan Douthwaite returned and, with his second delivery, removed Vilas who miscued another expansive drive to Joe Cooke at third man as Glamorgan bagged a second bowling point.

Danny Lamb continued the aggressive tempo by square-driving Douthwaite for four before Wood carved Neser through backward point for another boundary. Lamb then straight-drove Douthwaite for four before top-edging a pull to garner another bonus point on 250-6. He then clipped the all-rounder to square-leg before Wood flayed him to third man.

With the total on 265 Wood top-edged an ambitious pull against Douthwaite and was caught by Chris Cooke as Saqib Mahmood joined Lamb and plundered further boundaries against Neser as he scythed him through point followed by a straight drive. But the Australian made the perfect riposte as next ball he caught and bowled Mahmood, with Neser nonchalantly plucking out of the air with his left hand another drive hit vigorously back in his direction.

Matt Parkinson was the next batsman and he also smeared a ball square of the wicket for four against Douthwaite, but David Lloyd then entered the attack and, with his third delivery, he bowled Lamb to secure a third and final bowling point, before Parkinson drilled Timm van der Gugten through mid-off for four. In the Dutchman’s next over, he nearly departed to a spectacular bat-pad catch by Kiran Carlson, but James Anderson then cover-drove Lloyd to see Lancashire to the 300-mark whereupon the Red Rose side declared as the ended all square.

Teatime Update

Lancashire were 108-2 when the afternoon session began with a minimum of 64 overs remaining in the contest as Andrew Salter and Michael Neser resumed the bowling duties. Keaton Jennings completed his patient half-century from 163 balls by cover-driving Neser for four followed by drilling a full toss from Salter to the ropes at wide mid-on. He also drove Salter to long-off for another boundary but then perished – with the total on 132 – as he skewed a repeat of the stroke and was caught at backward point by Callum Taylor as Glamorgan secured their first bowling point.

Liam Livingstone survived a confident appeal for a catch at bat-pad as he fended off a lifting delivery from Neser before striking Salter for a pair of sixes over long-on in the next over from Salter, followed by a rasping cover drive. Bohannon also drilled Salter for six to long-on as the fourth wicket pair looked to up the tempo in their quest of batting points. Marnus Labuschagne’s wrist spin was then employed at the James Anderson End with Bohannon straight-driving the Australian for six prior to clipping Timm van der Gugten to the boards at mid-wicket.

But the Dutchman claimed the fourth wicket in his next over as Livingstone’s breezy innings came to an end as he clipped a drive into the hands of Joe Cooke at backward square-leg. Dane Vilas joined Bohannon as the Old Trafford floodlights came on with Glamorgan opting for an all-spin attack as Callum Taylor returned in tandem with Labuschagne ahead of the new ball becoming available at 80 overs. Vilas punched the leg-spinner of the back foot through backward point en route to the Red Roses securing their first batting point of the contest on 200.

Bohannon duly reached his half-century by swatting Labuschagne to wide long-on for his fifth boundary but he became the fifth man to depart as next over he was caught by Salter at backward point as a shower forced the players off the field for an early tea with Lancashire on 208-5.

Lunchtime Report

The revised format of this year’s County Championship will see the 18 first-class teams drafted into three divisions during the final month of the season, dubbed Super September, based on their positions at the end of the group stage of the competition. After events yesterday in the eight group games across the country, 8th May 2021 could justifiably be called Soggy Saturday with no play whatsoever in six matches, and a total of just 68 overs in the other contests at Lord’s and the Ageas Bowl.

This particular game at Emirates Old Trafford has seen, so far, only 127.5 out a possible total of 288 overs being bowled, although things have not been as dire as Glamorgan’s visit to Manchester twenty years ago when their contest with Lancashire, scheduled from 16th until 19th May 2001 - like the previous contest at the Old Trafford ground a fortnight before against Surrey - was washed out without a single ball being bowled.

With first innings bonus points still available, and just 96 overs left in this year’s game, the final day of the contest saw Lancashire, the group leaders, try to garner as many batting points as possible, plus the eight points were available for a draw, whilst Glamorgan sought the three, six or nine wickets needed to accrue bowling points to add to their three from batting, although some Welsh romantics may have dreamt of their beloved team emulating the achievements of August 1978 when in the space of 80.1 overs at Sophia Gardens, the Welsh county dismissed Northamptonshire twice on the second day of the game to record an innings victory.

The home side duly began on 22-0 and, after an over from Callum Taylor to allow the seamers to change ends, Michael Neser and Timm van der Gugten bowled in tandem. With two runs having been added, the former claimed his first wicket for the Welsh county with his eleventh delivery of the day as Alex Davies edged into Chris Cooke’s gloves. With Neser again in frugal mode, Keaton Jennings and his new partner Luke Wells accumulated initially in ones and twos with the first boundary of the innings – in the 26th over – coming from an inside edge to fine-leg as the statuesque Jennings played tentatively against the bearded Australian.

Another boundary followed in the next over as Wells square-drove the Dutchman before both batsmen collected threes from off-side drives against Neser which slowed up approaching the ropes. However, Wells found the boundary when Taylor returned to the attack as he advanced down the wicket to cover-drive the off-spinner. Van der Gugten then switched back to the Brian Statham End and was imperiously dispatched through extra-cover by Jennings, before Wells unfurled a coruscating off-drive against the same bowler followed by a lofted drive to long-off against Taylor.

Dan Douthwaite then entered the attack in tandem with Andrew Salter who was having his first bowl in a Championship match since September 2019. The off-spinner struck in his second over as Wells attempted another assertive drive but proceeded to hole out to Douthwaite at mid-off who safely pouched the skied catch. Josh Bohannon opened his account by clipping the all-rounder to fine-leg for four before taking Lancashire into three figures in the 47th over with, shortly before lunch, Marnus Labuschagne also entering the fray.