County Championship: Glamorgan welcome first crowd since 2019 against Lancashire

Glamorgan captain Chris Cooke has scored 365 runs at an average of 52 this season

Glamorgan will play before a home crowd for the first time since September 2019 as they welcome unbeaten Lancashire in round eight of the Championship.

Up to 1,000 members are allowed in Cardiff on the first day only, under Welsh Government pilot event rules.

But numbers are expected to be lower because of strict testing rules and the relatively late agreement of the regulations.

English counties are already allowed to have crowds on all four days.

"We're excited to have the Welsh public coming, we've been playing some good stuff and it'll be nice for them to see the brand of cricket we're been playing," said captain Chris Cooke.

"It makes a bit of a difference, it'll be great to have a couple of hundred in and hopefully the pilot goes well so we can have more in for the T20 Blast next week."

"Frustrating" comparison with England

The trial at Sophia Gardens involves spectators taking both PCR and lateral flow Covid tests, in order to be among the first allowed in since the win over Leicestershire on 19 September 2019.

It follows Swansea City having 3,000 fans for their Championship play-off match at home to Barnsley and 900 at Newport County's fixture against Forest Green Rovers.

But Glamorgan could be disadvantaged for the higher-profile T20 Blast, starting on 10 June, unless there is a prompt change in Welsh Government regulations after the pilot event.

"It's disappointing and a bit frustrating seeing the crowds in England, there are 7,000-8,000 at the Test so hopefully the pilot goes well, everyone enjoys the game and we can get on par with them (crowds for English counties) as quick as we can," Cooke told BBC Sport Wales.

"We often get a good crowd in for T20 especially on a Friday night and it adds that extra five to 10% for the players."

Glamorgan will be without Netherlands seamer Timm van der Gugten against Lancashire because of his country's one-day series against Ireland, with either James Weighell or Lukas Carey replacing him.

Table-topping opposition

The visitors arrive on the back of a convincing innings win over old rivals Yorkshire to consolidate their place at the top of Group Three, while Glamorgan are fourth and currently heading for a spot in the second of the three divisions which will determine eventual Championship placings.

"They're top of the log for a reason, they're a good unit from front to back but we played well against them up in Lancs and went toe-to-toe with them," said Cooke.

"We want to get into the second group as a minimum, but we've got a big game over the next four days and if we can finish well, then we can really give it a go in the last two games."

Lancashire, whose paceman James Anderson is back with England after troubling Glamorgan at Old Trafford, add seamer Jack Blatherwick to their squad.

Glamorgan (from): J Cooke, Lloyd, Labuschagne, Root, Carlson, C Cooke (capt, wk), Douthwaite, Neser, Salter, Weighell, Carey, Hogan, Cullen.

Lancashire (from): Jennings, A Davies, Wells, Bohannon, Livingstone, Croft, Vilas (capt, wk), Lamb, Wood, Bailey, Mahmood, Parkinson, Blatherwick.