Lancashire edge 19-wicket day despite Marnus Labuschagne's resistance

The bowlers held sway in the LV=Insurance County Championship match between Glamorgan and Lancashire in Cardiff with 19 wickets falling on the opening day.

Lancashire were put into bat and managed 173 all out with the highest partnership of the innings being the 36 put on between Luke Wood and Danny Lamb for the seventh wicket. Michael Neser returned the best figures for the hosts with 3 for 46, with the other Glamorgan seamers all chipping in.

Glamorgan started solidly in reply with an opening stand of 39 between David Lloyd and Joe Cooke but from that point on, the wickets continued to tumble with Tom Bailey - who had top-scored with 31 - claiming 3 for 40 for Lancashire.

Glamorgan reached the close on 150 for 9, still trailing by 23 and in danger of conceding what could be a telling first-innings lead.

Having won the toss and elected to field, they had started well in the first session with James Weighell the pick of the bowlers, but it was the ever-reliable Michael Hogan who made the first breakthrough from a ball that moved in sharply to the left-handed Keaton Jennings, clattering into his stumps.

Weighell took the two next wickets to fall, the first from an inswinger that Luke Wells left alone and he was given out lbw. Alex Davies had looked to be finding his feet when he attempted to cut a ball that was too close to him for the shot and he spooned a catch to Andrew Salter at point for 21.

It was Dan Douthwaite who claimed the final two wickets of the Lancashire innings with both Saqib Mahmood and Bailey chopping the ball on to their stumps.

The wickets also fell at regular intervals in the Glamorgan innings, the first being Lloyd for a punchy 21, bowled when he left a ball from Mahmood that clipped his off stump.

Bailey claimed two wickets in two balls when he had Joe Cooke bowled and Billy Root trapped lbw to leave Glamorgan 74 for 3.

Marnus Labuschagne was the one player who looked well set but he also fell on this madcap day, dismissed lbw to Lamb. His 44 in this innings doubled his run tally for Glamorgan this season with the Australian yet to rediscover the outstanding form of his 2019 county campaign. With him gone there was little further resistance, as Lancashire made their way through the lower order.

"There was some good bowling there, shot selection was a bit of an issue at times... there is the odd ball that nips around a bit but it is a nice wicket," Hogan said. "After that first hour, I thought that we were in for a long old day, and it seemed like a nice wicket. 19 in the day is interesting but I suppose the game goes like that sometimes."