Brown century puts Lancashire in control

Lancashire resumed day two of their LV County Championship clash with Glamorgan with the score on 161/3. Karl Brown (132) and Steven Croft (67) the not out batsmen.

Both Brown and Croft scored steadily during a morning session that yielded 99-runs without the loss of a wicket. The main event of the morning session was to be the century of Brown. It was only his second for the red rose in first class cricket, the first (114) coming in the innings victory for Lancashire over Sussex at Aigburth in April 2011. The Century was also an important landmark for Brown personally as he had been dismissed in the nineties twice already this season against Leicestershire (96) and Northamptonshire (97). However at the third attempt Brown was able make his way onto three figures. His knock taking 217 deliveries and including 13 boundaries.

Brown celebrating his 217-ball century. 

Glamorgan have spent the large majority of the game with a minus bowling over rate and with the board showing minus two the Glamorgan skipper decided to delay the taking of the new ball. This period of the game would allow Lancashire some time to find the gaps against an ineffective spin duo of Andrew Salter (0-51) and youngster Kieran Bull (0-48).

When the new ball was eventually taken it fell to Craig Meschede (4-101) and Michael Hogan (0-75) to try and get the breakthrough.

Meschede would eventually claim the wicket of Brown but not before the pair had put on 132-runs for the fourth wicket. Brown looking to increase the scoring rate pulled a short ball straight to David Lloyd (2-86) at mid-wicket, leaving Lancashire 274/4 and with ten overs to claim 26 runs for another batting point.

These runs would prove harder to get than most of the watching fans would have liked. Lancashire still required 5 runs from the last over but thanks to a straight boundary from Alex Davies (95) the point was secured. Glamorgan were only able to claim the single bowling point in the allotted overs, a slight improvement on Colwyn Bay.

Shortly after the pair had reached the 300 landmark Glamorgan had another break through. This time Lancs skipper Croft edged a Meschede delivery to keeper Mark Wallace with the score on 307/5. This wicket brought together a Davies and James Faulkner (63) a pairing that have found themselves together frequently during this summer.

The message appeared to have come from the dressing room that Lancashire were to ‘put their foot down‘ and to increase the scoring rate. Davies and Faulkner were only too happy to oblige. The initial assault on the Glamorgan attack prior to the tea interval came from Davies who brought up his fifty in only 57 balls with seven fours and a six.

Lancashire went into the tea interval with a healthy looking 384/5 on the scoreboard, Davies scoring 74 and Faulkner 28.

After the tea interval Faulkner decided to take the lead role and went to fifty from his 61^st delivery the innings including 7 boundaries. Faulkner was really starting to see the ball well when smashed a loose from Meschede for a six towards the practice nets. Only to go in the same over trying to hit another maximum, this time he was only able to find Lloyd diving forward to take a low catch in front of The Point to give Meschede his second scalp.

James Faulkner watching as the ball flies for six.

The partnership of 128 between Davies and Faulkner came from only 22.3 overs and broke the record for the sixth wicket for Lancashire versus Glamorgan. But had more importantly given Lancashire a platform to bat aggressively with the score at 435/6.

Unfortunately Davies fell shortly after Faulkner, narrowly short of his maiden first class century. He attempted to play Colin Ingram (2-9), who had been bought into the attack for his first over, into the off side but mistimed his shot the looped up to Graham Wagg (2-83).

Lancashire then gave license to the incoming batsmen to try and score runs quickly. This allowed Glamorgan to pick up the final three wickets for 28 runs.

Chapple (0) was caught by Lloyd from the bowling of Meschede. Shortly followed by Jarvis (5) caught behind by Wallace again from Meschede. Finally the wicket of Lilley (16), stumped Wallace from Ingram, gave Glamorgan bowlers the chance to put their feet up.

Glamorgan openers Jacques Rudolph (18*) and Will Bragg (26) batted through the first 11 overs of the Glamorgan reply without giving away a chance to the Lancashire opening bowlers Kyle Jarvis (0-21) and Glen Chapple (0-16).

Bragg had played playing some positive shots when he was trapped leg before to Arron Lilley’s (1-4) second delivery. The wicket leaving Glamorgan 40/1 in the twelfth over. Lancashire decided to bowl spin from both ends for the last 5 overs of the day but neither Lilley or Simon Kerrigan (0-7) could make further inroads to the Glamorgan reply.

Glamorgan will resume tomorrow morning the score on 48/1with skipper Rudolph and night watchman Salter (3*) at the crease.