Lancashire reach 423/5 at the Close at Old Trafford

After yesterday had seen the Welsh county amass their second highest-ever total on Lancashire soil in championship cricket, the home side patiently batted through the final session as the visiting attack pressed for a breakthrough. Luis Reece and Karl Brown, who are Lancashire's fifth opening pair in seven games began this morning on the cusp of the Club's first stand in excess of 100 for the first wicket this summer.

Graham Wagg and John Glover resumed the bowling for the Welsh county, with both bowlers keeping things tight until Reece cut the latter through backward point. But Brown perished attempting a similar stroke against Wagg as he chopped the left-armer onto his stumps with the total on 99.

Ashwell Prince announced his arrival at the crease by on-driving Glover for four before lofting Dean Cosker straight for six as the left-arm spinner entered the attack. The former Springbok Test batsman then leg-glanced Wagg for four, but Cosker then struck in his second over as Reece was trapped l.b.w. playing back to the canny spinner.

123/2 saw Simon Katich join Prince who nearly drilled Alex Jones' first delivery straight back to the bowler. He celebrated his good fortune by unleashing a coruscating cover drive to the next ball, before deftly gliding consecutive balls to the vacant third man boundary. Glamorgan then switched to an all-spin attack as Nathan McCullum entered the attack at the Pavilion End, with Katich greeting the off-spinner by cutting him for four.

Prince then threaded a drive through the covers against the Kiwi spinner before John Glover returned to the attack shortly before lunch as Prince completed his fifty from 57 balls..

The afternoon session began with Lancashire on 172/2, with Ashwell Prince starting the session by guiding Graham Wagg through backward point for fours from successive deliveries. Nathan McCullum then returned to bowl in tandem with the accurate Dean Cosker, with the Kiwi nearly having Simon Katich caught at slip by Jim Allenby.

The Australian celebrated his good luck by scooping Cosker over mid-wicket for four, before Prince swept the spinner to the ropes at square-leg. A square-cut by Katich against McCullum brought up the 200 before a lofted off-drive by Prince brought up the hundred stand.

Glamorgan then took the new ball after 84 overs as Wagg and Glover returned with the former being despatched high over extra cover by Katich before the latter was guided to third man as he patiently completed a 118-ball fifty. Prince also on-drove Wagg before reaching his hundred in the grand manner by lofting Cosker over long-on having faced 123 deliveries.

An on-driven four against McCullum by Prince brought up the 150 stand but the New Zealander then claimed his maiden championship wicket as the Springbok miscued an attempted sweep into Wallace's gloves as Glamorgan secured their first bowling point with Lancashire on 280/3.

Andrea Agathangelou joined Katich with both batsmen driving McCullum through the covers for four shortly before tea.

Lancashire began the post-tea session on 305/3 after 104 overs with six overs remaining to reach the 350-mark and to secure another batting point, but they eschewed any helter-skelter dash as Simon Katich and Andrea Agathangelou quietly accumulated against the spin of Dean Cosker and Nathan McCullum.

With the total on 316, McCullum added another scalp as Jim Allenby took a good catch diving one-handed to his left at first slip to end Agathangelou's innings. Luke Procter then came in and swept Cosker for four.

Wagg and Alex Jones then returned to the attack, with the former being glanced to long-leg where 12th man Dewi Penrhyn Jones made a fine diving stop to prevent another boundary. Katich then drilled Jones through the covers to bring up the 50 stand with Procter before reaching his century from 217 balls by despatching Wagg through the covers for four.

Procter also leg-glanced Jones for four to chisel away further at the deficit before Katich drilled McCullum through the covers for four when the off-spinner returned in tandem with Wagg in slow left-arm mode. The latter conceded a series of singles before ending Katich's innings as he feathered a glance down the leg-side into Wallace's gloves as Lancashire lost their fifth wicket on 406.

Gareth Cross then joined Procter and saw Lancashire through to the close without further loss, with the latter also completing a 78-ball half-century shortly before the end of the day's play.