Match times, streaming information, tickets and travel, team news, weather forecast, form, prediction and everything else you need to know ahead of the latest round of the LV= Insurance County Championship...
Fixture: Glamorgan v Lancashire
Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Dates: Thursday, June 3, 2021 - Sunday, June 6, 2021
Start time: 11am
What's the lowdown?
Lancashire are still unbeaten after a huge victory against Yorkshire. That innings-and-79-run success means the Red Rose now sit at the top of Group 3 with 123 points, 24 points clear of Yorkshire in second.
Glamorgan sit in fourth place with 80 points and are coming off a week off following a rain-affected draw against Kent.
Who's in form?
Glamorgan’s veteran paceman Michael Hogan has extended his contract with the club after being their leading wicket-taker so far this summer.
Australian duo Marnus Labuschange and Michael Neser have extended their stay with the club until July 22 to further make an impact. Neser has 12 wickets in three games.
Both Keaton Jennings (114) and Josh Bohannon (127*) got centuries against Yorkshire, while Danny Lamb, Alex Davies and Luke Wells completed half-centuries.
Saqib Mahmood finished the match with 5 for 47 and bowled with pace and aggression.
Last five first-class matches (most recent first)
Glamorgan: DDDWL
Lancashire: WDDWW
Head-to-head first-class record
Total matches: 125
Glamorgan wins: 20
Lancashire wins: 40
Draws: 65
Abandoned: 2
What's the team news?
Glamorgan: Matt Maynard has made one change to the squad to face Lancashire, with Lukas Carey recovering from a shin injury and replacing Timm van der Gugten, who is with the Netherlands during their ODI series against Ireland.
Australian duo Michael Neser and Marnus Labuschagne have meanwhile signed contract extensions until July 22.
Squad: Chris Cooke (c+wk), Lukas Carey, Kiran Carlson, Joe Cooke, Tom Cullen, Dan Douthwaite, Michael Hogan, Marnus Labuschagne, David Lloyd, Michael Neser, Billy Root, Andrew Salter, James Weighell
Lancashire: The away side have named an unchanged squad after defeating Yorkshire. They are still without Jos Buttler, who will become available during the Vitality Blast after returning home from the IPL.
Squad: Dane Vilas (c), Tom Bailey, Josh Bohannon, Steven Croft, Alex Davies, Keaton Jennings, Danny Lamb, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Matt Parkinson, Luke Wells, Luke Wood, Tom Bailey
Latest Glamorgan news: Click here
Latest Lancashire news: Click here
Who said what?
Glamorgan Chris Cooke has welcomed the return of fans, albeit for just a single day, for the tough visit of in-form Lancashire.
"We're obviously very excited to have the Welsh public coming," he said. "We've been playing some good stuff and it will be nice from them to see the brand of cricket we've been playing live.
"It makes all the difference having supporters in and hopefully, the pilot goes well and we can have a few more in for the Vitality Blast.
"Lancashire are top of the group for a reason and they're a very good unit but we played well against them up there and went toe-to-toe with them for a few days I thought and it will be another good test."
Tom Bailey believes Lancashire's defeat to Yorkshire is the strongest evidence yet that they are genuine title contenders.
“We’ve always said that we want to be the best team in the country,” he said.
“It’s not easy getting to that point, but you have to be relentless in your approach to it, and it’s looking like we’re getting there at the moment.
“The lads are confident, and we’re going out with that belief that we can win any game and beat anyone, shown by the fact Yorkshire are second in our group.”
What's the weather forecast?
Highs of 18 degrees Celsius in Cardiff over the weekend and staying dry throughout. Thursday predicted to be cloudy, however, the rest of the weekend remains sunny and warm.
Keep up to date with the MetOffice’s rolling forecast for Cardiff: Click here
How do I follow the match?
TV/stream: Information to come.
All LV= 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 LV= 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: Day one of the game is being used as a Welsh Government pilot event with up to 1,000 Glamorgan members able to attend. The remaining days will be behind closed doors.
Travel:
Address: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, CF11 9XR
On Foot
The most popular and pleasant means of reaching Sophia Gardens Cardiff from Cardiff Central Station is on foot. The final part of the 15-minute leisurely stroll takes you along the banks of the River Taff through Bute Park and the grounds of Cardiff Castle.
Cycling
A popular way to travel to the Stadium is by bicycle and we are in the ideal location to do so i.e. via the Taff Trail which runs from Cardiff Bay to Brecon. The Stadium has 25 cycle parking spaces located underneath the Altodigital stand and 10 spaces by Gate Two. Copies of the Cardiff cycle map are available by contacting cycle@cardiff.gov.uk
By Train
For details of the regular inter-city and high-speed trains that run between Cardiff and all major towns and cities including London, Bristol, Birmingham and Swansea, please visit: www.nationalrail.co.uk
By Coach
Regular high-speed coaches leave from Cardiff from most major locations in the UK. Please visit www.nationalexpress.com for further information.
By Bus
Cardiff Bus services run regularly between Cardiff Central Station and Cathedral Road (adjacent to Sophia Gardens Cardiff) Routes going via Cathedral Road include:
If you are planning to travel by bus please use www.travellinecymru.info for more information.
By Road
From London
Travel time is approximately 3 hours via the M4 Westbound.
From Birmingham
Travel time is approximately 2.5 hours via M5 Southbound and then the M4 Westbound.
From the East
Exit the M4 at Junction 29 and follow the A48M towards Llandaff. Join Cardiff Road. Sophia Gardens Cardiff is situated off Sophia Close which is on Cathedral Road.
From the West
Exit the M4 at Junction 33. Follow the A4232 for 6.2 miles and exit on the slip road onto Leckwith Road. Follow the A4161 and then turn left onto Cathedral Road (A4119). Turn right onto Sophia Close where Sophia Gardens Cardiff is situated.
Satellite Navigation Users
Enter postcode as CF11 9XR, provided parking has been pre-arranged.
Match-day Car Parking
Public Car Parking
Parking inside the Stadium on match days is limited to players, officials and permit holders only. Public car parking is available in the Sophia Gardens Pay and Display car park situated within Sophia Close.
Disabled Parking
A limited number of disabled parking bays are available for every match day held at the Stadium and these are allocated on an application basis. For more details please contact reception on 02920 419 381 or info@glamorgancricket.co.uk
Park and Ride
Glamorgan Cricket do operate a Park and Ride service on international and other major match days. This service usually runs from Cardiff City Stadium to the drop off point in Sophia Close.
Prediction?
Lancashire arrive in superb form and while Glamorgan will have day one in front of their home faithful they'll need a major performance to keep the visitors from adding a fifth win to the campaign. Away win
OTHER ROUND NINE PREVIEWS
Group 1
Group 2
Leicestershire v Gloucestershire
Group 3
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