Lancashire strengthen grip on top spot with innings victory

Lancashire increased their lead at the top of Division Two with a comprehensive win in under three days against a Glamorgan team who were outclassed in every department, with the margin of victory - an innings and 150 runs - a clear indication of the difference between the two teams.

While Lancashire, on their performances this season, will provide formidable opposition in Division One next year, Glamorgan, who were second before this game but are likely to move a few places lower after the current round of fixtures, will need to improve significantly if they are to gain promotion.

Apart from Dane Vilas' brilliant innings that enabled Lancashire take a lead of 288 on first innings, their seam attack probed incessantly in both innings, with the impressive Danny Lamb, in only his fifth first-class game claiming 6 for 89 in the match.

Lancashire resumed on 544 for 8, but their innings lasted only four balls before Saqib Mahmood edged Samit Patel to slip after a single had been added. When Glamorgan began their second innings, Nick Selman was almost dismissed from the first ball of the innings when Tom Bailey failed to hold on to a return catch.

Instead, the Glamorgan openers made it into the 15th over before being parted, Lamb removing Selman lbw to make it 28 for 1.

Five runs later Charlie Hemphrey departed, also leg before to Lamb, who was quickly followed by Shaun Marsh, and when David Lloyd and Billy Root were dismissed by Richard Gleeson in successive deliveries, the home team had subsided to 40 for 4. Patel and Chris Cooke then shared an useful partnership of 42, before both were out leg before - Cooke the fifth lbw victim of the innings and the team's top scorer with 41.

The last four wickets fell for 15 runs, and at 3.30pm Lancashire were on their way home, with Glamorgan left to reflect on their two recent heavy Championship defeats - to Middlesex by 256 runs and here by an innings.