Match times, streaming information, tickets and travel, team news, head-to-head record, weather forecast, prediction, and everything else you need to know ahead of the latest round of the County Championship...
Fixture: Lancashire v Glamorgan
Venue: Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
Dates: Thursday, May 6, 2021 - Sunday, May 9, 2021
Start time: 11am
What's the lowdown?
Lancashire are flying with three wins from three, the latest a five-wicket victory at Hove where they overturned a 98-run first-innings deficit. They sit top of Group 2 and return to Old Trafford unbeaten in their four matches so far this season.
Meanwhile midtable Glamorgan head north looking to back up an emphatic victory against Kent at home last week.
The Cardiff-based outfit celebrated the arrival of Marnus Labuschagne by turning the visitors over in two days, with another Australian, veteran seamer Michael Hogan, doing the damage as Kent were bowled out inside 30 overs in their second innings for 75.
It was a welcome victory for a side who, despite impressing at points during their first three games, were without a win this term.
Who's in form?
Glamorgan No.5 Kiran Carlson has kicked on this year in a manner few would have anticipated. His 442 runs this season place him eighth in the national run-scoring table and his twin centuries against Sussex constituted one of the batting performances of the season. Keeper-captain Chris Cooke has also been in the runs and is averaging above 60 this term.
Keaton Jennings’ brace of half-centuries went a long way to securing Lancashire victory at Hove, but runs have been evenly distributed among the top order and no Red Rose batsman is yet to take their tally beyond 300 for the season.
With the ball, Matt Parkinson continues to do his best Shane Warne impression and has 18 wickets at less than 18 runs apiece for Glenn Chapple’s side. Hogan’s reminder of what he can do on his day will have been timely to a Glamorgan outfit who have struggled to take wickets this season.
Last five first-class matches (most recent first)
Lancashire: WWWDW
Glamorgan: LLLDD
Head-to-head first-class record
Total matches: 124
Lancashire wins: 40
Glamorgan wins: 20
Draws: 64
Abandoned: 2
What's the team news?
Lancashire: The big news is the availability of James Anderson. The England seamer is looking to prove his fitness ahead of the Test summer after a calf injury.
Squad: Dane Vilas (c/wk), James Anderson, Tom Bailey, Josh Bohannon, Steven Croft, Alex Davies, Keaton Jennings, Danny Lamb, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Matt Parkinson, Luke Wells, Luke Wood
Glamorgan: A debut is in store Australia’s Michael Neser, and Michael Hogan is rested after his exploits against Kent.
Dan Douthwaite and Ruaidhri Smith make the 13-man squad after injuries, James Harris and James Weighell drop out.
Charlie Hemphrey has had his contract cancelled by mutual consent.
Squad: Chris Cooke (c/wk), Joe Cooke, Lukas Carey, Kiran Carlson, Dan Douthwaite, Marnus Labuschagne, David Lloyd, Michael Neser, Billy Root, Andrew Salter, Ruaidhri Smith, Callum Taylor, Timm van der Gugten
Latest Lancashire news: Click here
Latest Glamorgan news: Click here
Who's said what?
Dale Benkenstein has been added to the backroom staff at Lancashire.
The South African joins as a short-term batting coach.
Director of cricket Paul Allott said: “We were looking to add some additional expertise to the coaching team and Dale brings a wealth of experience to the changing room.
“He is highly respected in county cricket following his time as a player at Durham and then coaching at Hampshire. To add that knowledge into our dressing room can only be a good thing as we look to build on our positive start to the season.”
Glamorgan's David Lloyd is enjoying life in the County Championship.
He said: “We’ve been in every game so far but it was nice to finally get that win and hopefully we can continue to progress as a team.
“I feel good and I’m trying to enjoy my cricket and it helps when the other lads are enjoying it too, which as a group we are. I need to keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully that big score is around the corner.
“Lancashire is a very tough game for us and it will be a good challenge for us as a batting and bowling group. Similar to Yorkshire it will be a great experience for some of the guys who haven’t played there before.”
What's the weather forecast?
Expect rain in Manchester as we approach the weekend, while Saturday looks nasty. Sunday will be warmer, with a chance of showers.
Keep up to date with the MetOffice’s rolling forecast for Emirates Old Trafford: Click here
How do I follow the match?
TV/stream: Lancashire will offer live coverage of the match via their website: Click here
All County Championship matches are also available via the ECB's central hub: Click here
The matches can also be viewed on mobile via the ECB app.
Radio: BBC Local Radio and the BBC Sport website will carry ball-by-ball radio commentary of the game.
Digital: The Cricketer will carry live scorecards and daily updates from every County Championship match in 2021, as well as the latest breaking news from around the counties and exclusive features. Visit our County Hub for more.
Going to the game?
Tickets: This match is to be played behind closed doors owing to Covid-19 restrictions.
Travel: Not applicable owing to Covid-19 restrictions.
Prediction?
Lancashire really ought to have too much for Glamorgan, despite the Welsh county's result against Kent. Whether they have enough time to complete a victory with the weather forecast in mind is another matter. Expect Glamorgan to push the Red Rose, but Lancashire to prevail.
OTHER ROUND FIVE PREVIEWS
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
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