A well-crafted and unbeaten 115 by Colin Ingram, who shared a century stand with Kiran Carlson (65) helped Glamorgan successfully chase a target of 299 as they beat Derbyshire by seven wickets in their Metro Bank One-Day Cup at the Incora County Ground.
The Welsh county were victorious last summer in their 50-overs contest at Derby after opting to bowl first and with the forecast for showers at Derby this afternoon, this was Kiran Carlson’s decision again today after torrential rain yesterday. With Glamorgan fielding an unchanged same team from the defeat at Worcester, it was Harry Podmore and Jamie McIlroy who shared the new ball on a sluggish and green-tinged surface which appeared similar in hue to the one used for the drawn Championship match a fortnight ago. Luis Reece and Harry Came, who had added an unbeaten 360 in the Peakites second innings, opened the batting and began in circumspect mode against the accurate new ball pairing.
Came eventually struck the first boundary as he flicked Podmore to fine-leg before Recce square-cut the seamer. Came then lofted McIlroy inside-out over mid-off for four before doing the same to Podmore as Derbyshire ended the powerplays on 43-0. Came brought up the fifty by swatting a free-hit from Ben Morris for six into the Pavilion prior to Reece outside-edging Andy Gorvin to the ropes at third before pulling the all-rounder for six.
The tempo continued to rise as Reece on-drove and pulled successive balls from Morris with Came also flat-batting Carlson through the covers when the captain entered the attack in the 16th over. Reece on-drove and cover drove Gorvin for a pair of fours as the Peakites reached the 100-mark prior to ramping Gorvin for four to complete a 52-ball fifty. Came followed suit next over from 61 balls before Reece swept Carlson for four.
Ben Kellaway then entered the attack at the City End and ended the opening stand as Reece jaywalked down the pitch only to be adroitly stumped by Alex Horton. 134-1 saw Haider Ali arrive in the middle with the young Pakistani starting by caressing a delivery from the rookie off-spinner through the covers before pulling Carlson for four. Came also lofted Kellaway over mid-off for four before Gorvin returned bowling off-cutters with Came being run out by a direct hit from Kellaway as he tried to sneak a single against the all-rounder.
167-2 saw Brooke Guest join Haider as McIlroy and Podmore briefly returned to the attack. Haider responded by swatting McIlroy for six before greeting the return of Carlson by launching him over long-off for six, followed by a rasping square-cut en route to a 42-ball fifty. He celebrated by lofting Kellaway for six over mid-wicket followed by a late-cut for four.
But Derbyshire lost momentum losing five wickets for 26 runs in 4.5 overs as, with the total on 241, he Haider skewed another ambitious drive against the teenager and spooned the ball to Gorvin at backward point. Four runs later Kellaway bowled Matt Lamb before Tom Wood opened his shoulders by drilling Carlson for four over cover before being trapped l.b.w. by the visiting captain. Guest then straight drove McIlroy for four but Gorvin returned and saw Guest hole out to Carlson at mid-wicket before bowling Anuj Dal who was attempting to ramp the all-rounder as Derbyshire stuttered again to 267-7.
Alex Thomson and Sam Conners secured a series of singles before the latter ramped both Gorvin and McIlroy for fours to fine-leg prior to being caught at deep square-leg in the latter’s final over. Thomson then straight drove the last ball from Podmore for a straight six as Derbyshire ended on 298-8. Eddie Byrom and Tom Bevan then began Glamorgan’s chase against Suranga Lakmal and Conners, with Bevan square-cutting the veteran Sri Lankan who was then clipped to mid-wicket by Byrom.
Bevan also on-drove Conners for four before square-cutting Lakmal for another boundary with Byrom adding two boundaries to his tally as he struck successive balls from Conners to mid-wicket. Bevan then lofted Lakmal to long-off for four before steering Conners through point as Glamorgan ended the powerplays on 47-0. Bevan then lofted Nick Potts over third man for six before drilling him to long-off for four before swatting a free hit over square-leg for six but, with the total on 81, he lofted Dal into the hands of Potts at deep square-leg.
One run later, a leading edge from Byrom just evaded Potts in his follow-through but later in the over Byrom feathered a ball into Guest’s gloves. Carlson announced his arrival with a classical off-drive for four followed by a fierce cut through point before Colin Ingram lofted Dal over wide long-on for four followed by a textbook cover-drive. Carlson then greeted the introduction of both Thomson’s and Wood’s off-spin by reverse-sweeping them for four but rain started to fall and the players left the field after 22 overs with Glamorgan on 122-2.
It was only a short break and no overs were lost with Ingram immediately clearing the ropes as he flat-batted Conners over extra-cover for six before Carlson lofted Thomson over the head of the fielder at mid-off. Ingram also swept the spinner for four before having treatment on his left calf. He then drove Thomson for fours to mid-off and extra-cover prior to leg-glancing Lakmal for four en route to completing his fifty from 45 balls as the target became 116 from 120 balls.
Carlson then pulled Wood for six to reach his half-century from 40 balls as well as bringing up the century stand with Ingram on-driving a leg-break from Lamb for four to bring up the 200. Carlson then off-drove Wood’s gentle spin for another boundary before Ingram nurdled Reece to third man, But with the total on 217 Carlson miscued a sweep against Thomson into Potts’ hands at backward square-leg as Billy Root joined Ingram.
The new batter began with a brace of singles as the task became 70 from 72 balls with Root reverse-sweeping Thomson for four before Ingram harpooned the off-spinner over mid-wicket for six. The equation became 47 from 48 balls as Ingram slapped a short ball from Conners through the covers before Root did the same through point. Ingram had a stroke of luck as he then edged the quick bowler through the slips for four before completing his ninth List A hundred for Glamorgan by steering Dal through the legside as the task became 18 from 29 balls.
Ingram celebrated by off-driving Dal for four as Root continued to shrewdly work the ball around before Ingram saw Glamorgan to victory in the grand manner by hoisting Reece over mid-wicket for six.