102 by Steven Croft plus a combative 83* by Aaron Lilley saw Lancashire to 343/8 on the second and final day of their friendly against Glamorgan at The SSE SWALEC with the contest ending in a draw.
Close of Play Report
The final session began with Lancashire on 259/7 and with Croft unbeaten on 102, but the latter perished in the first over after the interval as he departed l.b.w. to Andrew Salter as he tried to sweep the off-spinner. Stephen Parry duly joined Aaron Lilley who deposited Salter over long-off for six and four, followed by a reverse-sweep for another four. Parry glanced van der Gugten for two fours before Lilley opened his shoulders twice more to strike Salter over long-on for further sixes.
Lilley then nurdled Meschede for four before being dropped at deep mid-wicket as the conditions became gloomy. Parry though drove Ruaidhri Smith for a pair of fours but as conditions got darker the players shook hands at 5.35pm as the contest ended in a draw.
Teatime update
Having taken Lancashire to 114/4 at lunch, Steven Croft drove the second and third balls of the afternoon session to the ropes at backward point and extra cover as Timm van der Gugten returned to the attack. Karl Brown also adopted a n assertive approach driving Andrew Salter to the ropes at long-on before pulling van der Gugten for six. But with the total on 150 his lusty cameo ended as he miscued a pull against Salter and skied the ball to the namesake Connor at square-leg.
With Brooke Guest as his new partner, Croft lofted van der Gugten into the Grandstand for another six before square-cutting Salter for four to complete a 76-ball half-century. But two balls later Guest was run out by David Lloyd as Croft attempted a single to short mid-wicket. Danny Lamb began by on-driving Salter for four before pulling Ruaidhri Smith for four. Croft also pulled Smith for a pair of fours before steering him through point. On 71 he had a stroke of fortune as he top-edged Hogan over the slip cordon before swatting Lloyd through point for another boundary.
Croft added another four to his tally as he square-cut Smith before Lloyd took the seventh wicket as he trapped Lamb l.b.w. with the Red Rose county on 220. Aaron Lilley became Croft’s next partner and he began with a brace of singles before straight-driving and cover-driving Meschede as Croft also moved into the nineties with a series of one’s and two’s before leg-glancing Lloyd to fine-leg. He duly reached three figures with a flick to square-leg against Lawlor – the 147th delivery he had faced – shortly before tea.
Morning Report
It was heartening yesterday for Glamorgan’s spectators to see local lads take centre-stage as Cardiff-born Kiran Carlson made an unbeaten 106 and Caerphilly-born Connor Brown make a fluent 85 as the pair added 180 for the third wicket against an attack featuring one of the recent bowling stars in the North-South series in the Caribbean, plus spinner with international experience.
This morning the focus was on England aspirants Keeton Jennings and Haseeb Hameed as Lancashire began their reply to Glamorgan’s impressive total of 331/5. Both of the batsmen from the Red Rose county have been tipped as contenders for places in England’s Test team, and the pair duly opened the batting against Ruaidhri Smith and Timm van der Gugten. Jennings began by square-cutting Smith for four but the young seamer delivered a waspish new ball spell and on several occasions beat the edge of Hameed’s bat.
The visiting captain then straight drove van der Gugten to the ropes at long-off before swatting him through point. Jennings also upper cut Smith over the slip cordon for four before Hameed punched van der Gugten off the back foot through extra-cover for another well-timed boundary. But his innings ended next over as with his fourth delivery Michael Hogan sent his off-stump cartwheeling out of the ground as Hameed shouldered arms.
With the total on 37/1 Alex Davies joined Jennings and opened his account by steering Hogan through point before on-driving David Lloyd to the ropes, but it proved to be brief cameo as in Hogan’s next over he chipped the ball to Jeremy Lawlor at mid-on as Lancashire lost their second wicket on 59. Steven Croft began with an on-driven four against Hogan before harpooning Lloyd for six over long-leg.
Glamorgan then switched to spin as Andrew Salter replaced Hogan at the River End and the off-spinner ended Jennings’ innings with his first ball, as the left-hander spooned a ball to Lawlor at mid-off as Lancashire lost their third wicket on 84. Rob Jones was the next batsman and he announced his arrival at the crease with a straight drive for four against Craig Meschede, before drillhing successive balls from the all-rounder through extra-cover and mid-wicket, but Meschede gained revenge in his next over as he trapped Jones l.b.w. with a full length delivery.