[themaclad]

The outcome of this Rothesay County Championship match remains uncertain after three days with Glamorgan, having dominated most of the second day and the first two sessions of the third, still favourites after setting Lancashire a victory target of 473 runs from 147 runs.

Some swashbuckling batting by the Red Rose top order in the final session, led by Luke Wells’ brilliant 102 has knocked 226 runs off the target for the loss of five wickets to give the hosts some hope of chasing that down tomorrow when they will need a further 247 runs off a minimum of 96 overs.

Starting the day on 95-2 in their second innings and 219 runs ahead, Glamorgan duo Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson proceeded cautiously through the first hour of the morning, intent on building the lead, before playing a more expansive game once they had settled in.

The Red Rose attack bowled a good line and length to stifle the run scoring, but it quickly became apparent that the nature of the wicket had changed with a more placid pitch offering far less assistance to both seamers and spinners than it had across the first two days.

Carlson, in particular, targeted their first innings tormentor Chris Green when the off spinner was brought on after fifty minutes of play, taking 15 from one over as the Glamorgan duo upped the scoring tempo.



Carlson’s second six brought up the 150 partnership and took the lead beyond 300 as the Glamorgan pair continued to dominate proceedings, reaching lunch on 239-2 and 363 runs ahead.

Wickets starting falling after the break with Carlson, having reached his century off 120 balls just before lunch, out for 105 to the second ball of the afternoon when playing back to Wells and plumb lbw, to end a 215-run partnership that had cemented the visitors’ control of the game.

Colin Ingram helped Northeast maintain the momentum with a brisk 34 until stumped by Phil Salt off Wells and Northeast, who had earlier reached his 34th first-class century off 183 balls, was well caught by sub fielder Jack Blatherwick on the midwicket boundary off Green for 132.



Green claimed two further wickets, to have nine in the match, as the visitors hit out with the declaration looming and that arrived midway through the day at 348-7 setting Lancashire the mammoth task of scoring what would be a record for the county of 473 runs to win from 147 overs-the third highest target set in a first-class game at Emirates Old Trafford behind the 547 Lancashire set Middlesex in 1994 and the 492 Surrey set Lancashire in 2015.

Phil Salt, pushed up to open, edged James Harris to Ingram at first slip for 1, but Keaton Jennings and Wells-coming in at number three-settled into a good partnership with Jennings passing 6,000 first-class runs for Lancashire when reaching 27.



But having taken their stand to 72 runs, Jennings fell to a bat/pad catch by Asa Tribe at short leg off Mason Crane for 33.

Wells reached his half century off 63 balls with a lofted drive for four off Crane having earlier pulled Ned Leonard for six over backward square leg and he was joined in a rip-roaring partnership of 82 off 65 balls by Josh Bohannon.

The pair attacked to great effect with Crane, so deadly in the first innings, taken for 58 in seven overs and Asitha Fernando hammered for three consecutive fours by Bohannon.

Fernando hit back by having Bohannon caught behind for 29 but Wells continued to play his shots, going to his century from 112 balls in style by hitting Harris for six off the back foot over long-on.



But Harris produced what may prove to be a decisive blow by taking a smart catch low down off his own bowling to dismiss Wells for 102 late in the day.

Ben Kellaway added to that by bowling Matty Hurst for 11 with a lovely turning delivery but Marcus Harris (24 not out) and nightwatchman Tom Bailey (9 not out) negotiated the remaining overs to reach the close on 226-5.

“Pleased to get a hundred, but pretty frustrated not just at my dismissal, but just where we are in the game,” was Luke Wells reaction at the close.

“Obviously it was a disappointing first innings from us,” he said. “We didn't cope with the turning conditions, and there was a few soft dismissals.

“Going into this fourth innings chase we felt that we could do something special.

“There was a really positive chat between Jimmy and Crofty about two or three guys do something really special and we can get over the line. Which is a great mindset to have, because I always feel that you play better when you're looking at the positive outcome of what can go right as opposed to what can go wrong.

“I really did feel when we were developing some partnerships, me and Keats and then me and Bosh as well, that if we got to the stumps three or four down and if me and Harris were in overnight, they would feel they're still on top of the game, but they would be a little bit worried in the back of their mind that we're going to have to get these guys out because we were scoring at a rate.

“So it meant we were always in the game if we didn't get out.

But, you know, equally that comes with some risks when you play like that and unfortunately it didn't go well overall.

“I still believe we are capable of winning this game. I mean, Greenie's been superhuman for us so far. We saw Tommy Hartley get a century last week in reasonably turning conditions as well at Cheltenham. I think Balders is due a score as well. Bales played some shots there and Harry as well has been remarkable for us this year.

“So we feel like we're capable of chasing these scores down. It's obviously not in our favour. Odds suggest it might not happen, but we believe that we can get it and we'll just have to see what happens.”

[themaclad]

Glamorgan wrapped up a resounding 154-run victory to consolidate their second place in the Rothesay County Championship Division Two table while the defeat leaves Lancashire 38 points behind their opponents – who they play in the final match of the season – one of their three games left to play.

It took 23.5 overs of play on the final day for the visitors to take the five wickets they needed with James Anderson the last man out at 2.22 pm after play had been initially delayed by 75 minutes due to rain.

Lancashire, resuming on 226-5 and needing another 247 runs, suffered two early losses with nightwatchman Tom Bailey bowled for 16 by a superb inswinging yorker from Asitha Fernando that uprooted his off stump, followed by that of Chris Green who top-edged a sweep off Ben Kellaway that dollied up to Kiran Carlson for 9.



That left Marcus Harris more or less fighting a lone hand, the Australian overseas batter reaching fifty for the seventh time this season from 89 balls, and desperately attempting to chance the narrative of the day when hitting Kellaway for a straight six to add to the six boundaries struck by the left-hand bat.



The 45-minute session saw Lancashire reach lunch on 274-7 but any lingering hopes evaporated four overs into the afternoon when Harris fell for 61 to a bat/pad catch off Crane snapped up by Carlson at short leg.

Tom Hartley and Anderson followed as Lancashire were bowled out for 318 with Glamorgan’s Mason Crane finishing with match figures of 9-126.

“I thought with a lot of the game, we had some really good spells and ultimately two poor sessions have cost us the game,” was interim Head Coach Steven Croft’s post-match assessment.

“It's a little bit of a shame as well, over the last four Championship games, we've played some really good cricket.

“We might have deserved more than two wins, but that's the way it goes and it's sort of a lesson for us all that you can't take your eye off the ball for a session or two. And it definitely cost us in this game.

“I think we didn't play the spin particularly well in the first innings. And then putting a little bit of pressure on in that second innings and you see how many bad balls we got. There was always a threat of us getting the runs.

“And it was probably clear to see that that was the right tempo. I think a couple of shots before the close of play or the breaks, maybe something around them needs to be assessed. But I think as a blueprint in that second innings, that's the way we want to play.

“So, I thought we got the intent right.

“I think if you can go through it with a fine toothcomb, we could have bowled them out for 180. We were really good with the new ball, went past the bat 10, 20 times. And we could have been chasing sort of 40, 50 runs less.

“We should have done better in the first innings with the bat. And then we're chasing our tails a little bit.

“But it's produced a really good game of cricket that it hurts not to be on the right side of, especially at home.”

[themaclad]

Lancashire bowled Kent out for 293 on day one of their Rothesay County Championship match at Canterbury, before reaching 19-0 at stumps, to trail by 274.
Ben Compton hit 77 and Ben Dawkins 60 but Kent lurched from 217 for two to 274 for five, before the next four wickets fell for four runs. Mitch Stanley took five for 80 and Tom Hartley three for 68.

Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings then survived eight overs to reach stumps on three and ten respectively.

Stanley struck in the sixth over to get Jaydn Denly caught behind for eight, but it was an otherwise joyless morning for Lancashire, with Kent reaching 122 for one at lunch.

Dawkins crunched Stanley through point to bring up his maiden first-class fifty and Compton then eased to the same milestone with two off the same bowler.



When Stanley then appealed for caught behind against Dawkins, for a delivery that seemed to flick his shirt, it was turned down, to a chorus of catcalls from the Nackington Road Grumblers, although Dawkins soon perished when he flicked Stanley to Michael Jones at midwicket, ending a stand of 136.

Tawanda Muyeye, out for a golden duck in the Vitality Blast quarter-final between these two sides on Saturday, cracked Tom Hartley back over his head for six and even Compton charged down the wicket on a couple of occasions but their partnership was interrupted when they collided with such force while attempting a second run that Muyeye’s helmet flew off. Compton stayed down in the middle, while Muyeye staggered to his feet before collapsing after making his ground. The ball was ruled dead in accordance with the ECB’s concussion guidelines and both batters needed treatment. After an 11-minute delay both were able to continue.

Muyeye then hit Stanley for six over point, only to play on to Hartley in the next over, bowled for 48.

From here on, everything went south for the hosts. Stanley had Compton caught behind and Hartley bowled Ekansh Singh for four, leaving Kent on 248 for five at tea.

Harry Finch and Joey Evison seemed to have stabilised things until three wickets fell in seven deliveries.



Finch was unlucky to be given caught behind to Wells and Rizvi lasted just two balls before he chopped on to the same bowler. Hartley then had Evison caught at first slip for 22.

Stanley finished Kent off, bowling Matt Quinn for one with the new ball and getting Matt Parkinson caught behind for 12.

The closest Kent came to a wicket was when Corey Flintoff, on as sub for Muyeye, missed a difficult chance to get catch Wells off Evison in the final over.

[themaclad]

Kent lead Lancashire by 105 after reaching 96 without loss at stumps in their second innings of their Rothesay County Championship match at Canterbury.

Earlier Lancashire were dismissed for 284 in their first innings, a deficit of nine, Matt Quinn taking four for 43 and Matt Parkinson four for 93.

Luke Wells hit 80 and although the visitors slumped to 195 for eight, Tom Hartley bailed them out with a 64, after he’d been dropped twice.

Kent’s openers Jaydn Denly and Ben Dawkins responded with an aggressive and unbroken partnership and the hosts will be the happier of the two sides at the end of the second day.

Lancashire were 19 without loss overnight and after yesterday’s collision with Ben Compton, Tawanda Muyeye developed delayed concussion symptoms. He was replaced by Joe Denly, in line with ECB protocols, although as a like-for-like replacement he wasn’t allowed to bowl. Compton himself hurt his wrist and was unable to field, or open.

Kent were buoyed by two early wickets. Matt Quinn struck in the fifth over of the morning, getting Jennings caught at first slip by Ben Dawkins for 17 and Josh Bohannon went for a fifth-ball duck, edging Joey Evison to Dawkins, who caught him at the second attempt.

Although the ball regularly beat the bat, Wells and Marcus Harris put on 82 for the third wicket, Parkinson breaking the partnership when the latter charged at him and was stumped by Harry Finch for 32, leaving Lancs on 118 for three at lunch.

The visitors regained the momentum until Matty Hurst played on to Quinn and was bowled for 24. Parkinson then had Wells caught behind.

Quinn caught and bowled Michael Jones for four, then got George Balderson lbw for 11.

When Parkinson had Tom Bailey caught by Jaydn Denly at first slip for three, Lancs were eight down and still 98 behind, but Hartley was dropped twice off Parkinson, by Finch and Mo Rizvi, and alongside Will Williams he steered Lancashire to 254 for eight at tea.

The deficit was down to 33 when Williams was lbw to Jaydn Denly, for 26, but Hartley responded by smearing Parkinson for six over midwicket to bring up his 50 and the visitors were almost level when he hit Parkinson down Ekansh Singh’s throat.

With Compton absent, Jaydn Denly and Dawkins immediately went on the attack. The former pulled Hartley for six over midwicket and passed fifty with an elegant reverse-sweep off Wells, shortly before stumps.

Dawkins survived a loud appeal in the final over, as Bailey bowled a tricky over of off-spin.

[themaclad]

An exciting finish could be in prospect on the final day of the Rothesay County Championship between Kent and Lancashire at Canterbury, after the hosts reached 206 for five at stumps, a lead of 215.

Although rain wiped out much of day three, with only 38.3 overs bowled, Jaydn Denly hit 74 as Kent built their lead, before Mitch Stanley helped rein them in with two for 56.

With Ben Compton not expected to bat Kent are effectively six down and the game looks fascinatingly poised going into day four.

Kent resumed with a lead of 105, on 96 for 0, with Jaydn Denly on 55 and Ben Dawkins on 35.

Dawkins had added just a single when he edged Will Williams to Keaton Jennings at first slip, but the players went off for rain at 10.56 pm and six overs were lost.



When play resumed Tom Bailey sent Jaydn Denly’s off stump flying, but a further downpour resulted in an early lunch, with the score 131 for two.

After a two and a half hour delay, play resumed and George Balderson, switching to the Pavilion End, had Joey Evison caught behind for 26.

Joe Denly, in as a concussion sub for Tawanda Muyeye, cracked Stanley for six over midwicket to take Kent to 170 for three at tea, but he rarely looked comfortable and was caught behind for 19 after flashing at the same bowler.



Stanley then had Harry Finch lbw for four before the rain returned at 5.12 pm. With no prospect of a resumption, play was abandoned for the day, with Ekansh Singh unbeaten on 30 and Mo Rizvi, who’s on a pair, on nought not out.