Glamorgan have reached their first one-day final for eight years after beating the Essex Eagles by five wickets in their Royal London One-Day Cup semi-final at Sophia Gardens with Joe Cooke taking 5/61 and making an unbeaten 66 to see the Welsh county home after the visitors squandered a decent position by losing 7/64 in the last ten overs.
This is Glamorgan’s first home semi-final in List A cricket since 2000 and their first appearance in the semi-final of the List A competition since 2013 when they defeated Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl to secure another cup final appearance, this time against the Notts Outlaws in the Yorkshire Bank40 competition. Eight years on there are two survivors of the Glamorgan side from that game in 2013 at Lord’s – Michael Hogan and Andrew Salter - in the Welsh county’s line-up for today’s match with both the evergreen seamer and Pembrokeshire-born spinner looking to become the first-ever players in the Club’s history to appear at two finals of the List A competition.
After opting to bowl first in the overcast conditions, Hogan duly took the new ball as Josh Rymell and Alistair Cook opened the batting for the Eagles. Rymell played and missed at three successive balls from Hogan before Cook struck the day’s first boundary as he square-cut Lukas Carey before also beaten being on the outside edge by Hogan. Rymell also cover drove Carey before Hogan had an l.b.w. appeal turned down against Cook who responded by pulling the veteran for four.
Hogan continued to probe away as Cook then miscued a drive and to the next delivery nearly drove a ball back to the bowler before twice square-cutting Carey, followed by a booming off-drive. Rymell greeted the introduction of James Weighell into the attack by driving him through point before off-driving Joe Cooke as the fifty came up in the 11th over. Cook then deftly drove his namesake for successive fours through point and extra cover.
Rymell also pulled Weghell for four before Cook clipped Cooke to the ropes at fine-leg followed by a pull backward of square before Glmaorgan switched to spin with Salter and Steve Reingold bowling in tandem. Cooke drove Reingold’s first ball through the covers for his 10th four to complete a 49-ball fifty before the century stand came up after 19 overs. Cook then late-cut Reingold for four but later in the over he was smartly stumped off a wide by Tom Cullen as the former England captain over-balanced and stumbled out of the crease.
111-1 saw Tom Westley make his way to the middle with the Essex captain pulling Weighell for four before flicking him to fine-leg and pulling him again in front of square-leg. Rymell also cut Cooke to third man, but later in the over and with the total on 146 he miscued a drive and was caught by Salter running back in the gully. Feroze Khushi joined Westley as Hogan returned to the attack, with Westley clipping Cooke to long-leg before pulling him to mid-wicket. But later in the over Westley chipped a catch to Reingold at short extra cover as Essex lost their third wicket on 162.
Paul Walter joined Khushi who twice in an over miscued pulls against Carey just short of fielders. Walter then cover drove and pulled the seamer for successive fours before striking Salter to long-on – the first boundary he had conceded and in his penultimate over. The tall left-hander then lofted Weighell for six to long-on before Khushi pulled Salter over the mid-wicket ropes. But it was six and out as next ball he dabbed a ball into Cullen’s gloves with the keeper pouching the rebound.
225-4 then became 228-5 as Ryan ten Doeschate edged a ball from Weighell to Cullen. Adam Wheater began with fours to third man plus a reverse-sweep and a pull to mid-wicket, whilst Walter continued his assault with an on-drive for four against Weighell. But with the total on 259 Wheater pulled Cooke to Reingold at deep backward square-leg.
Walter then completed his fifty from 37 balls before miscuing another drive against Carey and lofting the ball back to the bowler. 268-7 then became 270-8 as Aaron Njijjar drove Cooke to backward point where Reingold took another catch. Harmer was then dropped at wide long-on but Ben Allison was not so fortunate as he skied a catch to Carlson at mid-wicket in Hogan’s final over. Harmer then pulled Cooke into the Grandstand for six before holing out at long-on to give Reingold another catch and Cooke his fifth wicket.
Essex had therefore lost 7/64 in ten overs leaving Glamorgan a target of 290 to win to reach their fourth-ever final in List A cricket with Rutherford and Selman facing the new ball attack of Allison and Plom. Selman was the first to find the ropes as he clipped Allison to mid-wicket before drilling him through extra-cover, with Rutherford then unfurling a regal cover drive against Plom followed by a huge six over mid-wicket against Allison. The Kiwi then drilled Plom over extra-cover for four before lofting the next delivery behind backward square for six. He followed this with an on-drive for four against Allison plus a a pair of pull s to the next two balls as Glamorgan raced to 50 in the eighth over.
A fourth four then followed to mid-wicket before the last delivery of a remarkable over disappeared high over square-leg, before Rutherford completed his 50 from 29 balls in Nijjar’s opening over. He celebrated by sweeping the spinner for four. He also pulled a full toss from Harmer for four but next over, with the total on 95 he drilled the spinner to long-on where Walter completed the catch. Carlson came in and saw Glmaorgan into three figures with a delicate glance to fine-leg against Nijjar followed by a deftly placed late-cut to third man.
Carlson then drilled Harmer into the River Stand for six before ten Doeschate entered the attack in place of Nijjar. The pair continued to play watchfully against Harmer whilst working the ball around for one’s and two’s at the other end. Selman also clipped ten Doeschate to fine-leg for four before Carlson cover drove Westley. He then pulled ten Doeschate for four as the 150 came up in the 23rd over. But one run later Carlson cut Westley to backward point where Rymell took a smart one-handed catch.
Billy Root joined Selman with 139 needed from 26.4 overs but on 3 he cut ten Doeschate to point where Luc Benkenstein, the substitute fielder took a smart catch. Reingold joined Selman who completed his watchful fifty from 70 balls with the pair then working the ball around as Nijjar also returned and bowled Reingold for 10. 180-4 then became 182-5 as Selman was caught down the leg-side by Wheater who was standing up to Westley as Cooke joined Tom Cullen with 108 required from 18.5 overs.
The sequence of singles was broken as Cullen clipped Plom to fine-leg for two before the 200 came up after 36 overs. Cooke then pulled Plom for four – the first boundary for 14 overs – before surviving a run out chance as he scampered a single. He celebrated his good fortune by sweeping Westley for another four as the equation became 67 from 60 balls. Cooke duly off drove ten Doeschate for four before further well-placed singles as the task became 50 from 42 balls, with Cullen driving Harmer for four to mid-wicket before Cooke biffed ten Doeschaate to long-off for four as 34 were required from 30 balls, Cullen on-drove Westley for four before another flurry of singles including one which cannoned off umpire Ian Gould at square-leg with 26 required from 24 balls, Cooke drilled Plom for four to long-off before pulling him for four to complete a run-a-ball fifty. He then upper cut Plom for four to leave Glamorgan needing ten to win.
Cullen brought up the 100-stand with two off Harmer before Cooke straight drove Harmer for four and before finishing the match in style with a straight six against the spinner to end a fantastic match.