Lancashire's Green puts Glamorgan in a spin

Chris GreenImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Chris Green has played just 24 first-class games compared to 250 T20 matches

Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Emirates Old Trafford (day one)

Glamorgan 260-8 (96 overs): Carlson 77, Tribe 61; Green 6-82

Lancashire: Yet to bat

Lancashire 2 pts, Glamorgan 1 pts

Match scorecard

Lancashire's Australian off-spinner Chris Green took a career-best 6-82 as his side fought back to limit Glamorgan to 260-8 after a hard-fought day at Old Trafford.

Glamorgan chose to bat and looked to be on the front foot after two sessions at 192-3, thanks to Asa Tribe's 61 and a fine knock from Kiran Carlson, sixth out for 77.

Green, best known for his T20 skills, bowled for most of the day, sending down 34 overs as the scoring rate dropped against the old ball and wickets tumbled in the evening.

It was a fascinating battle on a spin-heavy day between a Glamorgan side starting the round of games second in Division Two, and a Lancashire team looking for a third straight win to get within striking range after belatedly finding red-ball form.

Both promotion challengers will be hoping to force the first positive result of the season at the ground in red-ball cricket, with the hosts holding the edge.

Glamorgan recalled captain Sam Northeast after paternity leave and leg-spinner Mason Crane, for Billy Root and the injured Timm van der Gugten.

Meanwhile Lancashire included seamer Tom Bailey in place of Jack Blatherwick, and handed county caps to Phil Salt and George Balderson.

In overcast and damp conditions, the visitors' openers Zain Ul Hassan and Tribe saw off the initial threat, as James Anderson bowled 21 dot balls before conceding, while Tom Bailey got through a probing nine-over spell.

Tribe took rare consecutive boundaries off Anderson in his second spell, while Ul Hassan shared in a stand of 75 before he was undone by the spin of Green, the tall Australian international bowling into some early footmarks and having him caught behind for 31.

Northeast fell after lunch lbw to Green for 10 and Tribe's excellent innings came to an end with his first real error of 118 balls faced, slog-sweeping Green to the longer square boundary where Bailey took the catch.

Carlson and Colin Ingram realised the danger of being pinned down and mounted the occasional counter-attack in a high-quality battle against Green in particular.

Carlson reached his 50 off 90 balls just before tea, but shortly after the break Ingram fell for 33 lbw sweeping at Green after a useful partnership of 86.

Bailey claimed the day's first seam success when Ben Kellaway was bowled without scoring in a rare failure for the young all-rounder.

The game really tilted in the hosts' favour with four wickets falling for 30, Carlson's mature knock ended when he edged Green to slip while Chris Cooke, after a slow start, was stumped for six off Green.

James Harris and Mason Crane dragged Glamorgan to a consolation batting point before Harris (11) missed a slog-sweep off left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, though Crane and Leonard survived under pressure to take the innings into a second day.

Lancashire's Chris Green told BBC Lancashire Sport:

"All our bowlers stuck at it really well, we were very unlucky early on and beat the bat a lot and could have had a few wickets there.

"We spoke about it at lunch and even at tea, just to outlast them and the game could turn quickly, so to take wickets in groups and have them eight down overnight, we're in a great position and we've controlled the scoreboard nicely as well.

"It's nice to have things conducive on day one with a few footholes, the plan was to put balls in the right areas and fortunately for me it was my day and I enjoyed bowling out there.

"The way it looked early, I thought the seamers would do a job but we've only got three, so Tommy (Hartley) and myself knew we'd have a role to play. There was enough in the wicket to ask questions and get rewarded when we did it the right way."

Glamorgan's Asa Tribe told BBC Sport Wales:

"It was a tricky pitch, they bowled nicely early on and there's definitely spin there, so we're in somewhat of a good position.

"It was about assessing the conditions quickly, trying to get through the tricky early conditions and build a partnership, which Zain and me did nicely.

"(Batting against James Anderson) is the kind of challenge you always want to face, so I'm glad I've had that experience and glad he didn't get my number.

"Kiran plays spin really nicely so I wasn't surprised when he got runs.

"(Green bowling all day) is a tale of what's to come, it's going to be tricky against spin and we've got two very good spinners so good luck to them batting out there."