Cosgrove makes his mark

Glamorgan broke their NatWest Pro40 duck for 2009 - thanks largely to Mark Cosgrove's thrilling 73 off 65 balls

Opener Mark Cosgrove’s entertaining 73 from 65 balls proved the difference as an inexperienced Glamorgan side rounded off their NatWest Pro40 season with their first win, overcoming Lancashire under the Cardiff floodlights.

Glamorgan could manage only 219 all out in 39.1 overs on a good SWALEC Stadium pitch, but Lancashire's innings imploded as Chris Ashling, on his one-day debut, took two wickets and claimed two run-outs, while stand-in skipper Mark Wallace produced three stumpings.

From the relative comfort of 129 for four in the 25th over, Lancashire were bowled out for 192 with 14 balls unused to lose by 27 runs. Six of their batsmen were run out or stumped.

The real difference in the sides was that Lancashire's collapse was so much more dramatic than Glamorgan's.

After winning the toss, the home side breezed to 135 for two off 20 overs, only to lose five middle-order wickets for just 19 runs in five overs.

Cosgrove, in typically aggressive fashion, and fellow Australian Jim Allenby put on 52 for the first wicket inside the first 10 overs.

But Kyle Hogg slower balls accounted for Allenby and Will Bragg as Glamorgan began to show their batting frailties.

Cosgrove continued to attack and reached his fifty, off 44 balls, with a massive straight six off Gary Keedy.

The equally hard-hitting Tom Maynard helped Cosgrove take the total to 135 before both batsmen fell in the space of two overs, Maynard bowled attempting a slog at Keedy while Cosgrove gave an easy catch to midwicket.

That began the collapse which saw Ben Wright caught behind, debutant Nick James taken at extra cover and Wallace run out in a mix-up with Harris.

An 48-run eighth-wicket stand between Dean Cosker and James Harris navigated Glamorgan to respectability, although they failed to bat out the overs.

Like Glamorgan, who were without skipper Jamie Dalrymple, Robert Croft and Michael Powell, Lancashire made an encouraging start with VVS Laxman and Paul Horton putting on 52 for the first wicket.

But after Horton was trapped in front by David Harrison, Lancashire lost wickets at very regular intervals and then three for nine runs as the lower middle order disintegrated.

The key wicket of Laxman was claimed by Ashling, who then ran out Mark Chilton and Glen Chapple in the space of three overs, sandwiched by Gareth Cross being stumped by three yards as panic set in in the Lancashire dressing room.

Stephen Parry was also stumped, Sajid Mahmood was easily run out attempting a single and Harris trapped Keedy lbw.