Lancashire crush Glamorgan inside three days and James Anderson makes comeback for Seconds

On the evidence of this win inside three days, Lancashire will provide formidable opposition in the top division next year whereas Glamorgan, who started this game in second place, would need to improve significantly to survive.

As well as captain Dane Vilas’ brilliant career-best innings on 266 that enabled Lancashire gain a first-innings lead of 288, their seam attack probed incessantly in both innings as the impressive Danny Lamb claimed six wickets in only his fifth first-class game.

Lancashire resumed on 544-8 at Colwyn Bay 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 when Tom Bailey failed to hold on to a return catch.

Five runs later Charlie Hemphrey departed leg before to Lamb and 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 40-4.

Patel and Chris Cooke then shared a 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 3.30 Lancashire were on their way home, with Glamorgan left to reflect on a second successive heavy championship defeats, having lost by 256 runs to Middlesex.

Lancashire coach Glen Chapple described the win as “phenomenal” and added: “We were always going to expect a strong challenge here in Colwyn Bay but the players geared themselves up and were committed to the cause.

“Everything went to plan. We built pressure, the standards were high and during our innings we built partnerships, while the bowlers were outstanding”

The Red Rose now revert to T20 mode to visit Worcestershire in the Vitality Blast on Sunday.

James Anderson began his bid for an Ashes return by playing for Lancashire Seconds at Northern Cricket Club in Crosby on Tuesday.

The England seamer suffered a recurrence of his calf problem in the first Test at Edgbaston but hopes to be back in contention for the fourth, starting on September 4 at his home ground Old Trafford.

Anderson came on first change and took an early wicket as the three-day friendly against Leicestershire Seconds got under way on Merseyside.