Glamorgan dramatically lost to Lancashire by 14 runs as they were dismissed for 139 with Simon Kerrigan taking five wickets and Glen Chapple four as the Welsh county lost their last eight wickets for 45 runs in the space of nineteen overs on the third day of their LV=County Championship match at Colwyn Bay.
Prince's departure had resulted in the appearance of Jimmy Anderson as night-watchman and it was the England seamer who joined Katich as Lancashire resumed at 11am with much to do if the Red Rose county were to maintain their unbeaten record in first-class cricket at the Rhos-on-Sea ground. Jim Allenby, who had launched a fierce counter-attack against Anderson's bowling yesterday, was back in action with the ball and his ninth delivery of the morning, he sent the night-watchman's middle stump cartwheeling out of the ground.
105/5 saw Steven Croft join Katich who responded by unfurling a trio of straight drives for four against Hogan to erase the arrears, before completing his half-century from 88 balls by also driving his fellow countryman through mid-wicket. Mike Reed duly replaced Hogan after forty minutes action at the Embankment End and he nearly claimed a wicket in his opening over but a thick outside edge from Croft just evaded the outstretched hands of Stewart Walters and Allenby in the slips.
Croft then swatted Reed behind square for four, but next over the bowler ended their stubborn stand as, with the total on 154, Croft was caught behind as Mark Wallace completed a regulation catch. Gareth Cross joined Katich and began by edging Reed through the slips, but a more confident drive by the Australian saw him guide John Glover through backward point for four. But this proved to be his final stroke in anger as next ball Katich edged into Wallace's gloves with Lancashire on 164/7 and a modest lead of 45.
Glen Capple announced his arrival by wafting Glover over the head of gully for four whilst Cross swatted Reed to the pavilion fence at mid-wicket.
But with the total on 208, Chapple swung once too often at Reed and miscued to mid-on where John Glover held a good low catch diving forwards. This brought Kyle Hogg to the crease, and he began with a pair of fortuitous fours, with the latter being nurdled through the slips before unleashing a pair of more intentional pulls to the mid-wicket ropes to extend the lead beyond a hundred.
Hogg continued to use the long handle with good effect firstly as an inside edge to a drive against Reed sped away to the fine-leg boundary, before clipping the tall bowler to square-leg for another four as the tail continued to frustrate the home attack. Gareth Cross, who had been watchfully defending at the other end then greeted the return of Dean Cosker into the attack by on-driving him to the Embankment boundary as the ninth wicket pair registered a fifty-run stand.
Hogg then cover drove Cosker for four before getting an under edge for four as he cut Glover, but their doughty stand, which had added 63 in 27 overs was ended by a superb one-handed catch by Cosker at short mid-wicket as Cross tried to flick Glover to the ropes. One run later Hogg's defiant innings ended as he wafted at Glover and Wallace completed the catch as Lancashire ended on 272.
Ben Wright also cover drove Chapple before upper cutting Jimmy Anderson for four besides inside-edging the England seamer to long-leg as the openers made a helter-skelter start. But on 38, Wright edged Anderson to Karl Brown in the gully and Stewart Walters became Bragg's new partner. After the 50 had come up in the tenth over, Bragg harpooned Simon Kerrigan onto the pavilion roof before despatching him through extra cover.
He then got a thick edge to third man against Anderson before completing an entertaining fifty from just 48 balls. But with the total on 71, Kerrigan trapped Walters leg before .Marcus North announced his arrival with a sumptuous cover drive against the left-arm spinner before Bragg swept the twirler to the long-leg boundary.
But Glamorgan's innings and the complexion of the game completely changed as Chapple returned at the Embankment End. Firstly he had North caught behind with 60 runs still required, before Murray Goodwin began with an edged four through the slips, but in Chapple's next over he bowled Bragg for 61 as Glamorgan stuttered further to 103/4. Allenby also edged the visiting captain through the slips for four but he became Chapple's next victim as the all-rounder departed l.b.w. with the total on 109.
Mark Wallace duly joined Goodwin but their partnership was all too brief as a further wicket tumbled as the fourth wicket tumbled in 45 deliveries as Goodwin cut Kerrigan straight into Simon Katich's hands at backward point to leave the home side on 111/6. Wallace steadied the nerves by steering Chapple through backward point for four before spearing him through extra cover for another invaluable boundary, but Chapple struck back as he clean bowled Wallace with the total on 129 and 25 runs still required.
Dean Cosker then joined John Glover, but their stand lasted just seven balls as the latter departed l.b.w. to Kerrigan as Glamorgan's nosedive continued against the vibrant Lancashire attack. With the total on 131/8 Michael Hogan joined Cosker and the Australian biffed a four through the covers before scrambling a series of singles. But Cosker then drove Kerrigan to Anderson at short extra cover to leave the score on 138/9 with sixteen still required as Glamorgan's last pair joined each other in the middle.
Hogan then struck a single before launching Kerrigan in the direction of the seafront, but Ashwell Prince on the boundary's edge at long-off held the ball above his head as Lancashire sealed a remarkable victory by 14 runs.
