Crane lifts Glamorgan into strong position against promotion rivals Lancs

Mason Crane joined Glamorgan in 2024 from Hampshire in a bid for more regular Championship cricket

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

Glamorgan 261: Carlson 77, Tribe 61; Green 6-82 & 95-2: Carlson 43*; Anderson 2-20

Lancashire 137 (52.3 overs): Bohannon 32; Crane 6-19, Fernando 3-26

Lancashire 3 pts, Glamorgan 4 pts

Match scorecard

Glamorgan leg-spinner Mason Crane took a career-best 6-19 as his side go into the third day with a lead of 219 over Lancashire and eight second-innings wickets standing.

Crane ran through the home side with a remarkable spell of six for 13 in the afternoon, Lancashire losing their last seven wickets for 30.

Paceman Asitha Fernando contributed a hostile 3-26 as Lancashire were bundled out for just 137.

But former England star James Anderson celebrated his 43rd birthday by removing the Glamorgan openers, before they recovered to 95-2.

In all 14 wickets fell on the second day, with Lancashire trying to produce conditions for a positive result as they chase Glamorgan in the second promotion place.

In the first innings Glamorgan lost their last two wickets for just one run to set the tone for the bowlers' day of dominance, on a pitch offering turn out of the rough for the spinners and some uneven bounce for the seamers.

After an hour's delay because of drizzle, Tom Bailey pinned Crane lbw for nine with his second delivery, and Bailey's wide was the only run added by Glamorgan as birthday boy Anderson proved too good for Ned Leonard, caught behind for four.

Asitha Fernando struck back early when Luke Wells was leg-before for two, but after a slow start, Keaton Jennings switched to a more aggressive mode only to be smartly taken by Asa Tribe at short-leg off Ben Kellaway for 28.

Josh Bohannon seemed to be well-set on 32 when Fernando struck again after lunch, having him lbw with a rapid delivery that kept low.

Though Australian Test batter Harris managed to retake the initiative with a brief assault on Kellaway in gloomy conditions, he fell for 30 as he smacked a full-toss from Crane to Kellaway at mid-on, prompting slightly embarrassed celebrations.

That was the start of once-capped Crane's wizardry under the lights as he made it a five-wicket haul by tea, with Phil Salt caught behind for eight, Matty Hurst lobbing a sweep to slip for 21, Chris Green chipping a tame return catch and Tom Hartley going lbw in the same over.

Fernando picked up his third wicket and lbw verdict as Bailey went for two to the skiddy Sri Lankan fast bowler, and Crane finished Lancashire off with his sixth victim as George Balderson lobbed a catch to mid-wicket for six.

Anderson got a double birthday reward in his fourth over, hitting the off-stump of Zain Ul Hassan (11) with the batter playing no shot, then diving to take a return catch from Asa Tribe also for 11.

But serene Sam Northeast (25 not out) and busy Kiran Carlson (43 not out off 50 balls) combined to switch the momentum back in Glamorgan's favour as the lead mounted past 200.

Glamorgan's Mason Crane told BBC Sport Wales:

"It means a lot, any time you take a five-for is special so a career-best is great and it's what all the hard work is for. I'm very happy but the way everyone else bowled let me do that, so it was a great day for the team.

"There was turn and bounce, in this game particularly, and it's the confidence of knowing that when you do get one in the right area it's going to cause problems.

"It's a strange wicket because we saw a few go quite low and it became tough to score later in the innings so hopefully we get a big lead and we'll be in a really commanding position.

"It's frustrating with the shoulder injury at the start of the year which was more serious than I thought, then that led to me tearing my side a few weeks ago, but when I have been on the park I've been happy with how I've bowled and hopefully I'm through the worst of it."

Lancashire interim head coach Steven Croft told BBC Lancashire Sport:

"Not the day we wanted, though there's still a chance if we bowl well, bowl them out and chase around 300-350.

"It's taken a bit of spin but I don't think either side has played the spin particularly well in the first innings, and I think we could have been more pro-active even though it wasn't easy at times, we looked a bit timid at times.

"It's been a really good cricket wicket, it's had carry and it's taken spin from day one which it probably needs with the Kookaburra ball here at Old Trafford.

"There'll still be a lot of belief in the lads, it's been the first little bit of jitters but we'll come back fighting."