Despite 5/99 by Mason Crane and a spirited fightback by Glamorgan, Middlesex registered a two-wicket victory on the final day of an intense and thrilling encounter at Sophia Gardens.
Middlesex won the toss and elected to field first, bowling Glamorgan out for 183. The top scorers were Zain ul Hassan on 34* and Mason Crane on 32* with Glamorgan struggling to build significant partnerships against a disciplined Middlesex bowling attack.
Middlesex responded by posting 343 all out, securing a crucial lead of 160 runs. James Harris was the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers with 4 wickets for 84 runs.
In their second innings, Glamorgan set up a determined fightback, scoring 372 all out. Marnus Labuschagne marked his return to Wales scoring his 9th first-class century for Glamorgan and his 31st overall, with a superb 111. Colin Ingram continued his excellent form, scoring 105, which marked his 4th century of the season and makes him the current leading run-scorer with 752 runs this season. Mason Crane and Zain ul Hassan played crucial roles lower down the order, helping Glamorgan to set a target of 213 runs before lunch on Day 4.
After lunch, Middlesex kept the scoreboard ticking over towards their target with 1 wicket from Andy Gorvin until Mason Crane and James Harris took 3 crucial wickets resulting in Middlesex going into tea 120/4 trailing by 92 runs.
The purple patch for Glamorgan continued after tea when Mason Crane completed his second 5-fer for the Club and Andy Gorvin got his second wicket giving Glamorgan a fighting chance of victory with Middlesex 161/8 trailing by 51 runs. Despite Glamorgan’s best efforts, the last two wickets did not fall and Middlesex registered the victory to take them to second in the table.
In a gripping game of cricket, showcasing remarkable performances from both sides, Mason Crane’s exceptional all-round effort, including his second 5-fer for Glamorgan, and the batting brilliance of Labuschagne and Ingram were the Welsh side’s highlights of this closely contested match.