Despite a probing new ball spell of three wickets for just one run in seventeen balls from Lukas Carey an unbeaten 125 by Iain Cockbain who shared a stand of 172 in 33.4 overs with Benny Howell (81) saw Gloucestershire to a four-wicket victory over Glamorgan in their 50-overs friendly at The SSE SWALEC.
Yesterday was the start of the 2017 first-class season, with three former Glamorgan bowlers – Messrs Harris, Podmore and Helm – featuring in the early exchanges of the summer’s curtain-raiser as Middlesex meet the MCC in the Champion County match in Abu Dhabi. Today sees the same contingent from the Welsh county who were on duty at Taunton on Friday against Somerset in action for the first time in Welsh soil in 2017, and ahead of the county’s opening first-class match tomorrow at The SSE SWALEC against Cardiff MCCU.
David Lloyd found the mid-wicket boundary in the third over as he nonchalantly clipped Matt Taylor to the boards, before next over doing the same against Chris Liddle. Lloyd also despatched the next delivery through point for four whilst Jacques Rudolph also drilled Taylor through mid-off before unfurling a coruscating drive square of the wicket against Liddle. The pair worked the ball around for one’s and two’s as the 50 came up in the tenth over.
Lloyd celebrated by hoisting Benny Howell high over mid-wicket for six in the all-rounder’s second over before swatting Ollie Currill to long-on for four, followed by an equally powerful off-drive for four against Howell. Lloyd also chipped Currill to the ropes at mid-wicket before being trapped l.b.w for 49 as he attempted to sweep Jack Taylor.
Nick Selman joined Rudolph and after a series of singles he also found the ropes by clipping Callum Gregory to backward square-leg for four. Rudolph also punched a full toss from the young seamer to the ropes at long-on, but with the total on 119, Selman miscued a sweep against Jack Taylor and was caught at square-leg.
With Kiran Carlson as his new partner, Rudolph unleashed a pair of delightful cover-drives for four against Gregory en route to a 69-ball fifty. With the score on 152 Miles Hammond bowled Carlson with the young tyro being replaced by another as Aneurin Donald made his way to the middle. Rudolph duly greeted the introduction of Kieran Noema-Barnett into the attack by steering him through backward point for four, but on 60 his innings ended as he was deftly stumped down the leg-side by Patrick Grieshaber against a delivery which was called a wide from Hammond.
Three balls later, 170/4 became 171/5 as Hammond claimed his third wicket as Donald chipped a ball into Jack Taylor’s hands at cover. Chris Cooke and Craig Meschede then took the score to 204 with the pair quietly working the ball around before Meschede upped the temp by on-driving Currill and off-driving Noema-Barnett for a pair of fours.
Meschede’s innings ended in the 43rd over as he was caught at deep mid-wicket but the boundaries continued as Owen Morgan nurdled Currill to the vacant ropes at third man. But on 215 Cooke was “Taylored” as he drilled Matt into brother Jack’s hands at mid-off. Six runs later Andrew Salter was run out by Liddle attempting a second run against Taylor. The left-armer then sustained a leg injury in the penultimate over after Jack Murphy scooped him to fine-leg for four, but Howell completed the over and with his first delivery bowled Murphy as he tried to repeat the stroke.
Morgan swatted Liddle for six in the final over as Glamorgan ended on 252/9 before Gloucestershire began their reply with Gareth Roderick and Brandon Gilmour opening the batting as Ruaidhri Smith and Lukas Carey shared the new ball. However, whilst bowling his tenth delivery Smith jarred his left leg and after treatment from the physiotherapist, he departed the field as Mescede completed the over.
But Gloucestershire lost early wickets as Carey made early inroads into the visitors batting. He began in his second over by removing Glimour who spooned a ball back to the youngster who gleefully pouched the ball in his follow-through, before he had Roderick caught behind in his next over as he sparred at a delivery outside off-stump. Iain Cockbain struck the first boundary, albeit off an under edge as he attempted to square-cut Meschede.
An authentic boundary came Jack Taylor’s way as he guided Meschede to third man but Carey struck for a third time as he found the edge of Taylor’s bat with Cooke completing a regulation catch as Gloucestershire nosedived to 21/3 in the tenth over. Howell responded by cover-driving Carey whilst Cockbain also pulled the product of Pontarddulais CC to the ropes at square-leg before square-driving Lloyd for another boundary.
Cockbain added another four to his tally as he flicked Lloyd to fine-leg to bring up Gloucestershire’s fifty before cutting Lloyd again to third man. Morgan’s left-arm spin was introduced in the 21st over before Salter’s off-breaks appeared three overs later, with the pair helping to keep the visitor’s well behind the DLS par score. The sequence of singles ended courtesy of a mis-field at extra cover as Cockbain secured a second run to complete his half-century.
Howell found the ropes for the first time as he cover drove Salter to bring up the 100 in the 30th over, with Cockbain square-driving Morgan for four. Their show of aggression prompted the return of Lloyd but Cockbain despatched the all-rounder through backward point before Howell brought up the century stand by clipping Lloyd to fine-leg.
The acceleration continued as Howell lofted Salter over mid-off for four and six, with the latter blow seeing him also reach his fifty. Cockbain then greeted the return of Murphy by cover-driving him for four as the fourth wicket pair continued to improve Gloucestershire’s position. It also prompted the brief return of Meschede after 40 overs with the visitors needing a further 84 from the last ten overs.
But Howell continued to find the ropes as he off-drove Meschede for four before striking successive balls from Morgan to the ropes. But with the total on 193, he tried one lofted stroke too many and miscued a drive against Morgan into Murphy’s hands at cover. Noema-Barnett joined Cockbain and pulled the spinner for four to bring up the 200 as the equation became 52 from 36 balls, but next over the Kiwi was bowled by Lloyd looking to harpoon the ball into Cardiff city centre.
Hammond joined Cockbain as Meschede and Carey returned in tandem, but Cockbain lofted Meschede for six before reaching his hundred from 116 balls with his umpteenth nudge into the leg-side for one. Hammond then lofted Carey over backward square-leg for six to reduce the target to 26 from 18 deliveries, before Cockbain also scooped Meschede over square-leg for another maximum.
He then swatted Carey over long-on for six in the penultimate over before Hammond miscued a drive back to the bowler as Gloucestershire lost their sixth wicket with eight still required from seven balls. But after scampering a single, Cockbain drilled Meschede over mid-wicket for six before winning the game with a single next ball. A full scorecard is available at http://www.totalcricketscorer.com/TCSLive/TCSScorecard.aspx?id=54813