A career-best 82 from just 59 balls by Kiran Carlson, plus a disciplined bowling and spirited fielding performance helped Glamorgan to win their first silverware since 2004 and their first-ever Cup final as they defeated Durham by 58 runs in the Royal London One-Day Cup Final at Trent Bridge.
This is the fourth time that the Welsh county have played in a List A Cup Final and the day-night contest in Nottingham sees the team with the top two bowlers in this year’s averages meet the side with the two leading run-scorers for 2021. The evergreen Michael Hogan heads the competition’s bowling averages with 15 wickets at 11.60, closely followed in second place by Joe Cooke whose 18 victims have cost 12.72 apiece, whilst Durham’s top-order includes Graham Clark, who is the leading run-scorer this summer with an aggregate of 606, plus Alex Lees who has 547 runs to his name.
Both of today’s teams won their groups as well as the semi-finals, with Durham having won their last five 50 over games. They are also wearing retro kit in a throwback from 1993 – the first year of coloured clothing in List A cricket and the summer when Glamorgan lifted the Sunday League trophy after defeating Kent at Canterbury – perhaps a good omen for the Welsh county!
Glamorgan, who are in search of their first one-day silverware since 2004, fielded an unchanged team with Hamish Rutherford and Nick Selman opening the batting against the new ball pairing of Chris Rushworth and Matty Potts. The batsmen accumulated in one’s and two’s until Rutherford lofted Rushworth for six over square-leg in his third over. But later in the over he repeated the stroke and was caught at long-leg by Alex Lees.
Having been joined by Steve Reingold, Selman cover-drove Potts for four before inside-edging him to fine-leg, followed by an exquisite flick to square-leg against Rushworth. Reingold greeted the introduction of Ben Raine by on-driving successive balls for four, ironically as a heavy shower also descended over the ground, with the youngster also edging Rushworth to third man as the fifty came up in the 12th over.
But one run later Reingold edged Raine with Cameron Bancroft, the Durham wicket-keeper, taking a fine one-handed catch diving low to his right. Kiran Carlson began by nurdling Raine to the vacant third man before drilling him through mid-off and then nearly seeing Selman run out as the captain called him for a quick single to backward point. Carlson atoned by on-driving Luke Doneathy for four before Rushworth, in another throwback to the old format, completed his tenth and final over having bowled his quota straight through at the Radcliffe Road End.
Carlson then opened his shoulders to loft Doneathy for six over long-on before flicking him to fine-leg, with Selman also off-driving the left-arm spin of Trevaskis for four as the hundred came up in the 21st over. Carlson then greeted the leg-spin of Scott Borthwick by plonking his opposite number for a straight six into the pavilion car park before next over nearly chipping a ball back to the spinner. Carlson celebrated by pulling Borthwick for six over square-leg to complete a 40-ball fifty before dispatching Potts through extra-cover for another four to complete his highest List A score followed by a pull to fine-leg against the seamer.
With Selman content to drop anchor at the other end, the Glamorgan captain then nurdled Trevaskis to the ropes at third man before pulling the next ball to mid-wicket as the boundaries continued to flow but next over Selman miscued a pull against Potts and holed out to Lees at mid-on. 157-3 immediately became 157-4 as Billy Root was adjudged l.b.w. with Tom Cullen surviving the hat-trick ball, but next over Potts removed Carlson who feathered a catch into Bancroft’s gloves and departed for a career-best 82 from just 59 deliveries.
160-5 saw the arrival of Joe Cooke after Potts’ burst of 3/1 in eight balls with Raine replacing him soon afterwards at the Pavilion End. The left-hander opened his account by edging a drive to third man against Borthwick before hoisting the twirler to the ropes at square-leg. Cooke then harpooned Trevaskis for six over mid-wicket to take Glamorgan past the 200-mark. But three runs later Cooke’s cameo ended as he pulled Borthwick into the hands of deep backward square-leg with Andrew Salter joining Cullen and sweeping Trevaskis for four prior to driving Raine through mid-off
Salter then straight-drove the spinner to take the Welsh county past their previous highest total in a Cup final - 225 made against Gloucestershire in the B&H Final at Lord’s in 2000 before Borthwick sustained a finger injury trying to stop a fierce drive. Doneathy duly completed the over and was pulled for six by Salter before pouching a skier as Cullen tried to repeat the stroke. 240-7 saw James Weighell arrive in the middle and he began with a brace of singles until Salter, with the total on 250 edged a slower ball from Raine with Bancroft completing the catch.
Weighell then used the long handle to loft Potts over long-on for six before being caught on the deep extra cover boundary attempting another lusty blow against Raine. Having been joined by Hogan, Carey hoiked Raine to fine-leg and before slashing him through backward point for a pair of fours. Hogan then swatted Raine for four through point before Carey drove Potts to long-on. Hogan then swatted a no ball from Potts over mid-wicket for six before scampering a bye from the last ball as Glamorgan ended on 296-9 – their highest total in the competition this year – with the late blows and 33 for the last wicket helping to give the Welsh county a momentum shift as they went into the interval between innings.
The tenth wicket pair were back in action with the new ball as Graham Clark and Alex Lees began the chase with the former square-driving Hogan for four before on-driving Carey to mid-wicket. Clark then survived a confident appeal for l.b.w. against Hogan before Lees edged Carey just wide of Selman at slip, followed by a square-drive through point.
Both bowlers also found the outside edge of Clark’s bat, but each time the ball dropped just short of Selman at slip. He celebrated his good fortune by swatting Carey through extra cover before pulling him to the ropes at mid-wicket as well as straight-driving Hogan for four as Durham ended the powerplay on 45-0 – one ahead of Glamorgan at the same stage.
Salter then entered the attack and with his fourth ball he re-arranged Lees’ stumps as Borthwick joined Clark with his side on 47-1. Clark off-drove Salter before Borthwick pulled Weighell for four but Salter struck again in his third over as, with the total on 64, Clark lofted the spinner into Weighell’s hands at deep mid-wicket. Nine runs later Weighell struck with the ball against his former employers as Borthwick chipped a slower ball into Reingold’s hands at mid-on.
73-3 then became 74-4 as Bedingham lofted Salter to mid-wicket where a gleeful Weighell claimed his second catch with Sean Dickson making his way to the middle. Hogan returned for the 23rd over but the boundaries remained elusive as the task became 199 from the last 25 overs. Eventually, Bancroft pulled Cooke for four before Dickson scythed Carey through point, with Bancroft twice repeating the stroke in Carey’s next over. Dickson continued the rally by lofting Cooke to long-on before pulling him to mid-wicket. Bancroft also pulled Reingold for four prior to completing his run-a-ball fifty, celebrated with a reverse-sweep for four against Salter.
But with the total on 159, Bancroft swept Reingold to deep backward square-leg where Andrew Gorvin, who was fielding as a substitute for Rutherford held a good catch. Raine replaced him with 138 still needed from 16.5 overs as Dickson completed his fifty from 61 balls before slashing Cooke through backward point. But the visiting bowlers kept it tight as the asking rate climbed with 101 needed from the last ten overs, and with the total on 198 Raine miscued an ambitious drive against Cooke and holed out to Hogan at mid-on.
Durham though were not going down without a fight as Doneathy came in and savagely pulled Cooke for four before Dickson harpooned Weighell for six over mid-wicket to make the equation 82 from 48 balls. Dickson responded by driving Cooke through the covers for four as the task became 71 from 42 balls. But Carey returned and Doneathy skied a ball to Carlson at mid-wicket with the captain gleefully pouching the skier. 226-7 then became 227-8 as Potts edged Carey into Cullen’s gloves.
Trevaskis responded by pulling Cooke for a pair of fours before holing out at deep mid-wicket as Selman took another fine running catch before Hogan returned and had Rushworth caught by Cullen as Glamorgan won by 58 runs to clinch their first silverware since 2004 with Salter deservedly winning the Man-of-the-Match Award after his efforts with bat and ball for the Welsh county.