Petersen and Prince add 321 runs to see Lancashire to 425/2 at Colwyn Bay

The Welsh county, who are in third place in the Division Two table, recalled Dean Cosker to their line-up, with the evergreen left-arm spinner replacing rookie batsman Aneurin Donald for the contest against table toppers Lancashire. Michael Hogan and Graham Wagg opened the bowling with Karl Brown on-driving the latter for four in the fourth over. But with the total on 6 in the seventh over, Hogan trapped Paul Horton leg before with a ball jagged back


With Alviro Petersen as his new partner, Brown clipped Wagg to mid-on and third man for boundaries from successive deliveries before cover-driving the left-armer. Petersen got off the mark with a couple of singles before thick-edging Hogan through third man for four. Brown then greeted the introduction of Craig Meschede into the attack by cover-driving the all-rounder. David Lloyd then replaced Hogan at the Penrhyn Avenue End and was clipped to square-leg for three and to fine-leg for four by Petersen.


Petersen continued to prosper on the ground where he had scored a one-day hundred when playing for the Welsh county as he clipped Lloyd to mid-wicket before edging him to third man to bring up the fifty stand. Brown twice cover drove Lloyd in the space of an over before Cosker's left-arm spin was introduced in the 22^nd over, with Andrew Salter's off-breaks shortly afterwards. Petersen greeted his former county colleague by drilling Cosker through extra cover for another four before lofting him into Penrhyn Avenue for six.

In the final over before lunch, Brown completed his fifty from 89 balls.

Lancashire resumed after lunch on 97/1, but in the fourth over after the interval, David Lloyd bowled Karl Brown for 54. Ashwell Prince joined Alviro Petersen, with the pair of batsmen - with a combined first-class aggregate in excess of 30,000 runs -looking to continue their serene progress on the easy-paced surface. Petersen duly completed his fifty from 89 balls, before Prince clipped Michael Hogan to square-leg for four, followed by a firm on-drive to the pavilion fence when Graham Wagg returned at the Embankment End.


Prince firmly clipped Craig Meschede to the mid-wicket boundary when the all-rounder returned at the Penrhyn Avenue End, before doing the same to Wagg. He then clipped Meschede over square-leg for six before Petersen deftly late cut Wagg for four. Andrew Salter duly returned to the fray and he was also clipped to mid-wicket by Prince who also drilled Dean Cosker through the covers. He then chipped Salter just over the head of mid-off for four before making firm connection with the next delivery which disappeared over long-on for six.


Petersen also struck a trio of leg-side boundaries in an over from Cosker before Prince completed his fifty from 71 balls shortly before Lancashire reached the 200-mark in the 56^th over to secure their first batting point. A nurdled four through the slips by Prince brought up the hundred stand as the pair continued to work the ball around and to make hay under the North Walian sun.


Prince on-drove LLoyd for four before Petersen also punched Lloyd off the back foot through extra cover before reaching his hundred - the third of the summer - by cover driving Salter in the penultimate over before tea.

Having added 129 runs in 31.3 overs to see their side to 233/2 by tea, Ashwell Prince and Alviro Petersen were looking to garner further runs and bonus points in the final session to re-inforce their adopted county's position at the top of the Division Two table. Andrew Salter and Graham Wagg initially shared the bowling duties with the latter being pulled by Petersen to the fence at mid-wicket and to the ropes at long-leg from successive deliveries.


Prince brought up the 250 by sweeping Salter before clipping Wagg to fine-leg to bring up the 15-stand, before driving Salter in successive balls to the mid-wicket fence. Wagg then switched into slow left-arm mode, with Petersen also cover driving Salter for four before clipping Lloyd through mid-wicket for another boundary. He then leg-glanced Lloyd before late-cutting him for further fours, followed by a regal drive for four through extra cover against Salter.


An edge through the slips by Prince brought up the 200-stand before a leg-glance by Petersen against Lloyd brought up his 150 from 222 balls. Prince then completed his century - his fifth of the summer - after three hours at the crease by cover-driving Craig Meschede followed by a crisp on-drive against Hogan shortly before the new ball was taken after 81 overs. Prince responded by clipping Meschede to square-leg and long-on, before scything him through backward point, all from successive deliveries.


Prince then clipped Hogan to square-leg for four before bringing up the 350 with a clip to square-leg for one as their stand became the highest third wicket stand for Lancashire against Glamorgan passing the 245 by Graeme Fowler and David Hughes at Old Trafford in 1983. Prince celebrated by despatching Hogan through mid-off for three successive fours whilst Petersen struck three successive fours, firstly by sweetly on-driving Lloyd, before clipping him to fine-leg and then drilling him over the head of cover


After reaching the 400-mark, their stand reached 300 in the 91^st over as Petersen struck successive fours through the off-side against Lloyd before Petersen clipped Cosker for four to mid-wicket and long-leg for four to complete his double century from 264 balls, shortly after Prince had also reached his 150 by clipping Cosker for one - his 171^st ball - with Lancashire ending the day on 425/2.