Despite 92 from Nick Selman who shared an opening stand of 121 with Hamish Rutherford (58) Glamorgan narrowly lost to the Yorkshire Vikings by four runs but results elsewhere meant that the Welsh county still ended on top of their group and secured a home semi-final in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
It could, quite literally, be the glorious twelfth for Glamorgan today as the Welsh county will proceed straight to a home semi-final – their first in List cricket since 2000 - if they defeat the Vikings today on their home patch, and to also make it four wins out of four in the group games this year in this year’s tournament at Cardiff. The Welsh county named an unchanged team from the one that comprehensively defeated the Notts Outlaws on Sunday , with Michael Hogan and Lukas Carey again sharing the new ball as Will Fraine and Harry Duke opened the batting for the Vikings.
Fraine swatted Hogan to the ropes at square-leg in his opening over before straight-driving Carey in his second over. He then cover-drove Hogan for a pair of fours, besides lofting Carey for four to long-off but with the total on 32 his breezy start ended as the opener edged Hogan into Tom Cullen’s gloves. Will Luxton announced his arrival by off-driving James Weighell before Duke reverse-swept Salter for four.
But on 59, Luxton spliced a lifting ball from Weighell with Steve Reingold running back at cover completing the catch. With Gary Balance as his new partner, Duke inside-edged Weighell to the ropes at fine-leg but next over he was bowled by Salter attempting another sweep shot as the Vikings slipped to 70-3. Balance responded with a pair of booming cover drives against Weighell before pulling Reingold for four. But later in the over the visiting captain played onto his stumps as the Vikings slipped further to 88-4.
After a series of single with Jonathan Tattersall, George Hill brought up the hundred by on-driving Joe Cooke, but the bowler made amends as Hill under-edged a pull onto his stumps. 121-5 immediately became 121-6 as Matthew Revis edged the next delivery to Cullen before Dom Bess survived the hat-trick ball before hoisting Salter just over the head of Nick Selman at long-on.
But with the total on 132 Weighell returned and had an l.b.w. appeal upheld as Bess returned to the pavilion. Matthew Waite began by carving the all-rounder through point before Tattersall twice clipped him to the mid-wicket ropes. Waite then lofted Reingold for six over long-on prior to drilling him through extra-cover followed by a late cut through point to bring up the 50-stand.
He then pulled Hogan for four to fine-leg as the 200 came up in the 44th over before doing the same to Cooke. But his counter-attack ended as Billy Root completed a fine running catch at deep mid-wicket as Cooke claimed his third wicket. Tattersall duly completed his fifty from 58 balls before driving Hogan into Carlson’s hands at mid-off. Weighell then ended the innings as Sullivan miscued to Hogan at mid-on as the Vikings ended on 230.
Hamish Rutherford and Nick Selman began Glamorgan’s run chase as Ben Coad shared the new ball with Waite. Rutherford struck the first boundary as he cover drove Waite but there was little on offer from the Vikings bowlers as the Welsh county ended the powerplays on 24-0. Selman then nurdled Coad to third man for a pair of fours before Bess entered the attack in tandem with Revis. The latter was clipped to fine-leg for four by Selman before being punched by him through point as the 50-stand came up in the 14th over.
Rutherford celebrated by lofting Bess into the River Stand for six before pulling Sullivan for four. Rutherford then swept Bess for six before completing his 76-ball fifty with another deftly placed single against the spinner. Selman brought up the century stand in the 25th over before cover-driving Coad for four en route to his fifty from 78 balls, reached with a straight drive against Hill.
Rutherford also exquisitely on-drove Hill for four but three overs later he was bowled by Coad for 58 as the Vikings broke the opening stand. 121-1 saw Reingold join Selman who pulled Sullivan for four before greeting the return of Waite by drilling him through the covers before clipping him to the ropes at fine-leg. Reingold swept Bess for four as the task became 80 from 15 overs.
Selman duly reverse-swept Bess for four before Reingold drilled Hill over mid-on for four and through the covers before being bowled by the all-rounder. 180-2 then became 182-3 as Carlson was bowled by Hill before the all-rounder struck again as Selman miscued to mid-off where Balance held a juggling catch.
Root and Cullen joined forces with 43 still needed from 36 balls but the pair were only able to scamper a series of singles to reduce the task to 34 from 24 whereupon Revis bowled Root as Cooke joined Cullen as the task became 30 from 18 balls. Cullen drilled Hill for a pair of two’s before a couple of dot balls and a pair of singles with 24 needed from 12 balls. Cooke launched Revis over mid-off for four followed by a pull for four to fine-leg before holing out at long-off, with Salter joining Cullen.
The pair sprinted a pair of two’s as the task became 11 from the final over from Waite. After a dot ball, Cullen drilled another two before being run out. Weighell was then run out attempting a second with Salter who then scampered another two and was left to score six off the final ball to win the game. He could only secure a single before Yorkshire’s celebrations began with a four run victory but there was joy soon afterwards in the Welsh camp as it was confirmed that despite their defeat Glamorgan finished top of the group and secured a home semi-final.