County Championship: Mason Crane hopes to take Glamorgan loan chance

Glamorgan's new spinner Mason Crane wants to contribute "through the entire summer" following his loan move from Hampshire.

Crane, 27, played one England Test against Australia in 2018 after two T20 internationals the previous year.

But he featured in just two Championship games for Hampshire in 2023 plus two on loan for Sussex.

"It felt like I could be doing a lot more. I've got a lot of experience for someone my age," he said.

Crane added: "I need to be playing. Once I get started, hopefully my value to the team can be recognised and I can display what I've got in all formats."

Leg-spinner Crane's frustration illustrates the problems with producing front-line red ball spinners in England and Wales county conditions, with the bulk of matches being played in the first two months and last six weeks of the season.

The lack of chances for spinners to develop their craft on mostly seam-friendly wickets has been highlighted during England's recent tour of India, when rookies Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir were thrown into Test cricket on the back of precious little county experience.

"I realise there'll be some pitches [at the start of the season] where I'm not needed, but hopefully I can still contribute with my skill-set even at this time of year, I have had success in April before," Crane told BBC Sport Wales.

He played under Glamorgan's new four-day captain Sam Northeast at Hampshire, when Northeast stood in for James Vince.

"Mason's a wicket-taker and a match-winner, and you'll see him bowl really well on day four," said Northeast.

"He can turn it on most wickets, we have to use leg-spinners in the right way and understand he might go for a few runs here and there. But when we talk about winning games, he's the person we want to have."

Glamorgan's previous front-line spinner Andrew Salter, who was used more in the early season as an emergency opening batter, retired in 2023.

That meant Kiran Carlson delivering plenty of off-spin after several years without much of a bowling role.

Left-armer Prem Sisodiya has been a limited-overs regular, but all-rounder Ben Kellaway is also aiming to build on his spectacular entry in the One Day Cup.

Kellaway, 20, averaged 32 with the bat and 23 with the ball in seven matches.

"Hopefully I'll get a few more opportunities to play red-ball cricket and just play as much first-team cricket as possible," Kellaway told BBC Sport Wales.

"The One Day Cup was a great tournament, we had a shift in terms of coaches [David Harrison taking over] and they let me play with freedom, put no pressure on me and it worked out pretty nicely.

"It's a confidence booster as you step up the levels, I've got a few little tricks I've been working on so I'm hoping to bring those out.

"I've been working really hard especially on my red-ball bowling so hopefully I can give the team the best chance of taking wickets."

With practice plans badly hit by the weather, Glamorgan's squad will be hoping to get into the middle in a three-day friendly against Cardiff UCCE starting on Sunday 31 March.

Glamorgan's Championship season starts at Middlesex on Friday 5 April.