Cricket

Northamptonshire's hopes of salvaging a draw against Glamorgan in their Vitality County Championship clash hang in the balance after a tense final session in Cardiff.Glamorgan, resuming on 111 runs ahead, extended their first-innings lead to 211 thanks to a late-order resurgence led by Mason Crane (56*), James Harris, and Andy Gorvin. Crane, enjoying his most prolific season as a batter, shared a 63-run stand with Harris, while the final wicket partnership between Crane and Gorvin added a further 53 runs, taking Glamorgan's total to 490 all out.Northamptonshire's second innings got off to a solid start with a 59-run opening stand between Emilio Gay and Ricardo Vasconcelos. However, Glamorgan's bowlers gradually gained control, with Gorvin dismissing Gay for 24 and Prithvi Shaw edging to Chris Cooke for 23.Vasconcelos remained resolute, reaching 99 before falling LBW to Crane in the final session. Crane also accounted for Rob Keogh first ball, leaving Northamptonshire four wickets down and level with Glamorgan's first-innings score.Luke Procter (55*) and Lewis McManus guided Northamptonshire to the close without further damage, but the visitors still face an uphill battle to save the game. They will resume on the final day with a slender 25-run lead and six second-innings wickets in hand.Glamorgan, buoyed by Crane's leg-spin brilliance, will be eager to push for victory and secure valuable points in their pursuit of promotion.

The Hundred, England's premier 100-ball cricket tournament, has finalized its squads for the upcoming season, with several notable additions and replacements.Ollie Robinson, the England and Sussex seamer, has joined Trent Rockets as a Wildcard after previous stints with Manchester Originals and Northern Superchargers. Ravi Bopara returns to London Spirit, where he impressed last year. Mason Crane, the legspinner, has been picked up by Welsh Fire following his loan move from Hampshire to Glamorgan. Dillon Pennington, the Nottinghamshire seamer on England's radar, will play for Northern Superchargers.These selections were based on performances in the Vitality Blast and Charlotte Edwards Cup. All eight men's and women's Hundred sides now have full squads ahead of the tournament's fourth edition, running from July 23 to August 18.Fran Wilson, an England Women's World Cup winner in 2017, will feature for Birmingham Phoenix. Sophie Luff (Southern Brave), Danielle Gregory (Manchester Originals), and Abi Freeborn (London Spirit) are among the other notable signings."I'm really happy to have been drafted by Southern Brave," said Luff. "The Hundred is a great competition to be a part of, so I'm really happy to have been picked up and it's especially great to have been selected by Charlotte Edwards."Six replacement players have also been announced. Tom Aspinwall and Scott Currie will step in at Manchester Originals for Fred Klaassen and Josh Tongue. Emma Jones will take over from Ailsa Lister at Birmingham Phoenix women, while Charli Knott will be available for Brave's first two women's matches in place of Smriti Mandhana. Laura Harris will deputise for Chamari Athapaththu for Oval Invincibles' opening two fixtures, while Suzie Bates stands in for Richa Ghosh for the first three games at Phoenix.

Middlesex emerged victorious in a thrilling Vitality County Championship encounter against Glamorgan at Cardiff, securing a two-wicket triumph on the final day. Mark Stoneman's crucial contributions with the bat proved pivotal in the hard-fought win.Glamorgan's batting woes continued in the second innings, with Zain-ul-Hassan and Mason Crane once again providing some resistance. However, their partnership was broken by Ethan Bamber, who dismissed Zain for 34. Crane's valiant effort of 48 was ended by Luke Hollman, leaving Glamorgan with a daunting task.Middlesex's chase began promisingly, with Sam Robson and Stoneman forming a solid opening stand. Robson's dismissal for 31 opened the door for Glamorgan, and Crane's spin proved to be a potent weapon. He accounted for Max Holden and Leus du Plooy, while Andy Gorvin removed Mark Stoneman for 63.With Middlesex still 93 runs short of victory, the match hung in the balance. Crane continued to torment the batsmen, dismissing Nathan Fernandes and Toby Roland-Jones in quick succession. However, a defiant ninth-wicket stand between Tom Helm and Jack Davies guided Middlesex to victory with just five overs remaining.Helm's unbeaten 44 and Davies' 25 proved to be the match-winning contributions, as Middlesex secured a hard-earned triumph. The win earned them 21 points, while Glamorgan managed only two bowling bonus points.