Goodwin's century steers Glamorgan to 315/3 at Old Trafford

With Mike Reed and Will Owen injured, Marcus North unavailable for personal reasons and Michael Hogan rested, Glamorgan made several changes to their line-up from the side which lost to Hampshire at Cardiff last week for the LV=County Championship match against Lancashire at Old Trafford with Nathan McCullum, Chris Cooke and Alex Jones all featuring in a four-day match for the first time this summer whilst Will Bragg and John Glover also return after injury.

After winning the toss, and electing to bat first, Bragg and Gareth Rees made a steady start against the new ball duo of Kyle Hogg and Glen Chapple - on the ground where the latter, exactly twenty years ago, scored a whirlwind hundred in a Championship match against the Welsh county. He was duly driven by Bragg through mid-wicket for an all-run four before the left-hander struck consecutive deliveries from the veteran seamer to long-leg and mid-on. Rees then steered Hogg through backward point for four before contemptuously doing the same to Chapple.

After fifty minutes play the spin of Simon Kerrigan was introduced at the Pavilion End and the left-arm twirler was driven through mid-off by Rees for four, but in his third over, and the total on 43, the youngster made the breakthrough as Bragg edged a drive into the hands of Ashwell Prince at first slip. His departure saw Murray Goodwin join Rees and the veteran was immediately off the mark as he swatted a head high full toss - correctly called a no-ball by umpire Alex Wharf - to long-leg for four before doing the same in a more conventional manner to Luke Procter.

Goodwin then drilled Kerrigan through mid-wicket for two fours from consecutive balls before Rees did the same flaying a short ball from the spinner through point before unfurling a classical off-drive to the next delivery. Rees added a further boundary to his tally as he despatched Kerrigan to mid-wicket before Goodwin on-drove Procter for four.

Shortly before lunch Rees brought up the fifty stand by sweeping debutant Arron Lilley for three to long-leg, before steering him through backward point and mdid-wicket as he completed another half-century from 97 balls.

?This is Glamorgan's first match in the competition at the Manchester ground for a dozen years, but their top order batsmen looked completely at home this morning against an attack which has taken Lancashire to the top of the Division Two table.

This appeared to be continuing into the afternoon session with Rees cover driving the first ball after lunch although the bowler, Kyle Hogg, did induce an outside edge next over from Rees' bat into the hands of second slip, but it was a no-ball after the bowler had overstepped. But next over Hogg made amends as Rees again edged to Andrea Agathangelou at second slip who caught the ball at the second attempt after it cannoned off his torso.

Rees' departure saw Chris Cooke arrive at the wicket and the Championship debutant was soon into his stride with a rasping cover drive against Hogg. Goodwin then pulled a short ball from Chapple before doing the same to another rising delivery from Hogg which disappeared like a tracer-bullet to the long-leg boundary, He then turned his attention to Simon Kerrigan and deftly cut the left-arm spinner to the ropes to complete an 84-ball fifty.

Soon afterwards, Lancashire switched back to an all-spin attack as Aaron Lilley returned at the Pavilion in tandem with Kerrigan, but Goodwin continued to play freely, sweeping Kerrigan for four and off-driving him for three. After a period of quiet reconnaissance, Cooke also advanced down the wicket and lofted Lilley straight for six, but three overs later he swatted a long hop from Kerrigan to Luke Procter at short extra cover.

185/3 saw Jim Allenby joined Goodwin and the all-rounder was immediately into his stride as he cut Kerrigan for four, before helping Goodwin to further consolidate in the overs leading up to the tea interval.

Having brought up the 200 and the first batting point in the over before tea, Goodwin and Jim Allenby were looking to further build up Glamorgan's already impressive first innings total against the current leaders of Division Two. Allenby began by swatting a short ball from Luke Procter through backward point before doing the same to Simon Kerrigan. He then hoiked the spinner high to mid-wicket before Goodwin clipped the spinner to mid-wicket for another sweetly-timed boundary.

Allenby continued his assault on Kerrigan by splicing an off-drive to third man before slog-sweeping Aaron Lilley to deep mid-wicket. Goodwin then reached his deserved hundred by clipping Kerrigan to mid-wicket - his 178th delivery - as Glamorgan also secured their second batting point. /Goodwin celebrated by unfurling another deft sweep for four against Lilley.

With the total on 262/3 after 80 overs, Lancashire took the new ball in a bid to quell the flurry of strokes from the visiting batsmen as Glen Chapple and Kyle Hogg returned to the attack. The tempo did slow but both batsmen remained watchful before Goodwin ended the sequence of one's and two's with a booming off-drive for four against Hogg, whilst Allenby unleashed a savage pull to the mid-wicket ropes against both seamers - the latter one duly brought up the century stand.

Procter returned at the Statham End but was steered to third man by Goodwin, before the veteran swatted Chapple to third man for his sixteenth four before Glamorgan reached the 300-mark, and another bonus point in the 92nd over. Kerrigan returned shortly before the close and nearly caught and bowled Goodwin, who celebrated his good fortune by pulling the spinner for four.

Shortly before the close, Allenby deftly cut Procter for four before Goodwin ended the day with an imperious off-drive for four against Kerrigan.