Wells Century Keeps Lancashire in the Hunt as Glamorgan Push for Victory

A thrilling final day awaits in the County Championship Division Two clash between Lancashire and Glamorgan, after centuries from Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson put the visitors in command, only for Luke Wells to hit back with a defiant hundred that has kept the hosts in with an outside chance of a stunning run chase.

Lancashire, set a daunting 473 to win, finished Day Three on 226 for 5, still requiring another 247 runs with five wickets in hand. Wells led the fightback with a fluent 102, his century keeping the Red Rose county in the game after Glamorgan had dominated the opening two sessions with the bat.

Glamorgan Take Control with Batting Masterclass

Resuming the day on 95 for 2, Glamorgan batted with authority through the morning and early afternoon, building a massive third-wicket stand of 215 between Carlson and captain Sam Northeast. Carlson was the more aggressive of the two, reaching his second half-century of the match in the third over of the day and progressing to his hundred off just 120 balls.

Lancashire’s bowlers, who had relied heavily on spin during the first two days, found little assistance on a more benign surface. Even Chris Green, who took 3 for 64 in the innings and finished with match figures of 9 for 175, struggled to stem the flow.

Wells eventually broke the partnership with his part-time leg spin, trapping Carlson lbw for 106. Colin Ingram added a quickfire 34 off 29 balls before being stumped off Wells, while Northeast reached his 35th first-class century before falling for 132, caught on the leg-side boundary.

Glamorgan declared on 348 for 7 shortly before tea, giving themselves a lead of 472 and 147 overs to bowl Lancashire out.

Lancashire Respond with Intent

Despite the imposing target, Lancashire responded with positive intent. Although opener Phil Salt fell early for 1, the hosts showed they weren’t content to play for the draw. Wells and Keaton Jennings added 72 for the second wicket, with Jennings falling to a sharply turning delivery from Mason Crane for 33.

Josh Bohannon injected further energy into the innings, as he and Wells put on a brisk 82-run stand, targeting spin and running aggressively between the wickets to shift momentum back in Lancashire’s favour. Bohannon fell for 29, edging behind off Asitha Fernando, but Wells continued to push on, reaching his century with a towering six off Ben Kellaway.

Wells' resistance ended when he was brilliantly caught and bowled by James Harris for 102. But with Marcus Harris unbeaten and in-form wicketkeeper Matty Hurst for company, Lancashire still harboured hopes of a remarkable comeback.

Hurst’s dismissal late in the day, bowled by a sharply turning ball from Kellaway for 11, was a setback. However, with capable batters like George Balderson, Chris Green, and Tom Hartley still in the shed — not to mention nightwatchman Tom Bailey holding firm — the door remains ajar for an extraordinary finish.

Score Summary:

Glamorgan 261 & 348 for 7 dec (Northeast 132, Carlson 108, Green 3-64)
Lancashire 137 & 226 for 5 (Wells 102, Crane 2-75, Harris 2-39)

Lancashire need 247 more runs with five wickets in hand.

With momentum shifting late in the day and the hosts showing unexpected resolve, the final day promises to be a fascinating contest between Glamorgan’s push for promotion and Lancashire’s bid for an unlikely win.