All-round smith inspires Lancashire win

Lancashire 213 for 2 beat Glamorgan 211 for 9 by eight wickets
Scorecard

Tom Smith produced a sparkling all-round performance and Steven Croft weighed in with a career-best 93 not out to help Lancashire seal an eight-wicket Clydesdale Bank 40 victory over Glamorgan at Colwyn Bay.

Smith followed up figures of three for 49 with a fine half-century as Lancashire registered their fourth win in the tournament by chasing down 212 to win. Croft's effort from 90 balls hastened Lancashire's victory charge as they won with 16 balls to spare.

Their chase was rather bigger than it might have been with Glamorgan finding themselves 29 for 5 before Ben Wright (79) and Robert Croft (53 not out), helped the Welsh county to 211 for 9. Having conceded a record score of 386 on Wednesday in their defeat to Surrey at The Oval, Glamorgan seemed to be heading for more embarrassment when their top five were dismissed inside 10 overs.

They were immediately on the back foot when Mark Cosgrove was bowled by Smith attempting an attacking shot. Will Bragg then had his off stump pegged back by Sajid Mahmood, while Tom Maynard was adjudged lbw to Smith.

James Allenby also went lbw playing across the line and then David Brown holed out to deep midwicket. All the top five failed to make double figures. But with Mahmood (2 for 16) and Smith (three for 26) going out of the attack after six overs each, Wright and stand-in captain Mark Wallace were able to set about rebuilding the innings in a partnership of 80 in 15 overs.

The home recovery was briefly halted when Gary Keedy broke through Wallace's defences. Wallace went for 38 with Glamorgan 109 for 6 in the 25th over. Wright, who reached his half-century from 66 balls, added a further 59 in 11 overs with Croft as Glamorgan took 46 from the four batting powerplay overs.

But halfway through that powerplay Wright was run out off the finger tips of the bowler Smith from a no-ball. That left 40-year-old Croft to lead the tail and he struck two straight sixes on his way to an unbeaten 53 from 44 balls.

In reply, Lancashire looked at ease throughout their chase with Smith and Karl Brown putting on 74 for the first wicket in 11 overs. Their surge for victory was held up briefly when Croft had Brown caught at cover by Cosgrove and Dean Cosker then bowled Smith for 61.

Steven Croft then took up the attack and took 19 off an over from Cosker, including two successive sixes, as Lancashire breezed to the winning post.