By Edward Bevan at Colwyn Bay
First day of four: Lancashire 213-4 v Glamorgan
LANCASHIRE, who are handily placed 29 points behind leaders Surrey but with a game in hand, were frustrated by the weather at the Rhos-on-Sea ground yesterday after winning an important toss on a pitch expected to turn in the latter stages.
After 34 overs had been lost to the weather on a typical 1998 summer's day - cold wind and squally showers - John Crawley and Graham Lloyd laid the foundation of a sizeable first-innings total with a partnership of 79 in 17 overs for the fifth wicket.
Whether opening the batting or at No 3, consistency has been the hallmark of Crawley's batting this season and yesterday was the sixth time the England player has passed 50 this season.
Lloyd, who announced himself with a six over long-on, has not been at his best this season but he played in his own uninhibited style, striking two sixes and seven fours, from 49 balls, before holing out on the boundary.
Earlier, Nathan Wood and Paddy McKeown laboured against an accurate attack strengthened shortly before midday by the arrival of Robert Croft, who travelled from Trent Bridge after being left out of the England team.
Only 48 runs came from the opening 33 overs when McKeown was trapped leg before by Adrian Dale but Wood, despite much playing and missing, continued unruffled before toe-ending an attempted hook to Steve Watkin.
The tempo increased with Crawley's arrival but Mark Chilton, the Durham University student whose only other first-class innings was against the same opposition last year, was bowled via his pad by Darren Thomas.
Day 2: Crawley century sets upbeat tempo
By Edward Bevan at Colwyn Bay
Second day of four: Glamorgan (60-0) trail Lancashire (366) by 306 runs
ONLY 54.2 overs were bowled on another day more akin to January than July, but both teams adopted a positive approach and if the weather does relent for the final two days, there could be a positive outcome to this game.
John Crawley made 124, completing the 35th century of his career and his third this season. Wasim Akram blasted 43 from 55 balls, then 19-year-old Wayne Law played some handsome strokes when Glamorgan began their first innings.
Due to injuries, this is the 15th opening combination Glamorgan have used this season, but Law and Ismail Dawood raced to fifty from only nine overs showing scant respect for Akram and Peter Martin.
After bowling only five overs, Akram went off with a recurrence of his groin injury. The Glamorgan captain was also a casualty, having earlier had to leave the field after being struck in an area where had he been batting, he would have had the protection of a box.
After play finally started at 1.30pm, Mike Watkinson was out in the second over then Warren Hegg chopped a ball from Robert Croft on to his stumps.
Croft, eager to prove a point after being left out of the England team, took four for 76, his best return of the season, and could yet play a significant role later in the game with the pitch expected to assist turn.
Crawley and Akram accelerated with a partnership of 87 in 17 overs for the seventh wicket, before Crawley's excellent innings ended when he swept Croft to square leg.
There was further belligerence from Martin as Lancashire gained their fourth batting point. But after only 13 overs of Glamorgan's innings, the rain returned and play was abandoned for the day.
Day 3: Law makes mark with first century
By Edward Bevan at Colwyn Bay
Third day of four: Lancashire (366 & 42-1) lead Glamorgan (383-8 dec) by 25 runs.
WAYNE Law, a 19-year-old opening batsman from Llanelli who made 131, held centre stage yesterday with a maiden century in only his second championship appearance.
Law, deputising for the injured Steve James, also became Glamorgan's second youngest championship centurion just five months older than Matthew Maynard who achieved that feat against Yorkshire 13 years ago.
In many ways it was a Maynardesque innings, uninhibited stroke play culminating with a four and a six out of the ground from the last two balls before lunch.
He dealt capably with the new ball and with nimble footwork nullified the threat of the Lancashire spinners who achieved minimal turn, although Chris Schofield was unlucky not to have Law caught twice at slip after reaching his hundred.
Schofield, also 19, a legspinner from Littleborough and making his first-class debut, was given a long bowl by Wasim Akram and, although wicketless, spun the ball enough to trouble the batsmen.
Following a mid-innings stutter where three wickets fell for only 11 runs, Michael Powell (88) batted himself back into form after a barren spell and ensured Glamorgan a second batting.
The younger brigade served Glamorgan well, making the most of their opportunities in the absence of James with a hand injury and Maynard who did not bat after his mishap in the field.
Lancashire faced a deficit of 17 on the first innings and then lost Nathan Wood who shuffled across his stumps.
Lancashire are anxious to win this game to keep in touch with Surrey at the top of the table and will hope to accelerate this morning to leave Glamorgan a target and also give their bowlers enough time to dismiss the opposition.
Day 4: Crawley builds momentum
By Rob Wildman
IF John Crawley had scored two centuries in the same match for Lancashire eight years ago at this ground the partisan support might have made him feel like he was batting at Lytham or Southport rather than on the north Wales coast.
Since Glamorgan first took county cricket to Penrhyn Avenue in 1990 the balance of the crowd has changed significantly. No longer do they need to rely on visiting support to make up the numbers; a progressive membership drive and championship-winning team converting about 11,000 to a national cause.
``When we first started out here you could tell we had lost a wicket by the cheers,'' Mike Fatkin, the Glamorgan secretary, said. Derbyshire might have dispensed this week with their annual trips to Chesterfield, but the collective efforts of local councils, sponsors and a well-organised club keep Glamorgan coming back. Unfortunately yesterday, other than the grace of Crawley, the 2,000 or so spectators had little to be enthused about. There was even a chant of ``boring'' near the tea interval from those frustrated by the lack of an engineered finish for a match that was strangled by poor weather on the first two days.
Criticism that title-chasing Lancashire had lacked initiative were firmly rebuffed by Dav Whatmore, their coach. ``If they wanted a run chase then Glamorgan should have declared earlier. And I reckon 90 per cent of the people here agree,'' the Australian said.
He then turned to look at the enclosed confines. ``It's a small ground and we would have needed a big score,'' he added. Lancashire, leading by 25 overnight, showed no inclination pre-lunch to build that big score, despite the command Crawley developed over Glamorgan spinners Robert Croft and Dean Cosker.
Crawley began slowly, scoring his first fifty in 110 balls, before taking charge from noon onwards, reaching his third successive championship century shortly after lunch with a second fifty in 55 deliveries. He was eventually dismissed for 136 when the turn of Croft forced a mistimed drive to short mid-on.
The Lancashire innings of 334 all out was given a mid-afternoon kick by Graham Lloyd, who hit four sixes in making 73, before he skied Cosker to Darren Thomas at midwicket. It was one of six wickets for the left-armer, a championship-best return which rewarded a stint of 34 overs.