Despite career-best bowling figures of 4/25 by the evergreen Dean Cosker, Glamorgan lost to Surrey by 19 runs in their contest in the NatWest T20 Blast at the SSE SWALEC.
Glamorgan made one change to their side which lost to the Sussex Sharks last Sunday afternoon in Cardiff with David Lloyd returning in place of Ben Wright. Glamorgan also opted to open the bowling with the leg-spin of Colin Ingram, whilst Wayne Parnell began at the Cathedral Road End. The quickie was duly edged for four by Jason Roy in the second over before Michael Hogan delivered the third over, with Glamorgan employing two slips for Hogan and Parnell.
Roy swatted Hogan to wide long-on for four as well as a lofted straight drive for six into the River Stand whilst his partner Dean Elgar began with a brace of singles on his debut for Surrey in this format. Roy also pulled Parnell for four as Surrey ended the powerplays on 50/0, before Roy swatted Dean Cosker for a huge six over mid-wicket. He nearly pulled Andrew Salter into Graham Wagg's hands at short mid-wicket, whilst Elgar struck his first four in the 9
th over as he swatted Wagg straight to long-off.
With the total on 76, Elgar then departed as he harpooned Salter into the hands of Lloyd on the ropes in front of the Grandstand. Roy then did the same, but cleared the ropes as his third six saw him complete a 39-ball fifty. His new partner Gary Wilson also began with a flurry of singles as Surrey reached the 100-mark in the 13
th over. Dean Cosker then returned and claimed the scalp of Roy who miscued to Hogan at backward point.
104/2 saw Vikram Solanki join Wilson with Glamorgan persevering with spin and six runs later Solanki lofted Ingram to Cooke at wide long-off. The fielder completed a second running catch five runs later as Wilson swatted Cosker into his hands at backward square-leg. Azhar Mahmood then used the long handle to bludgeon Cosker straight for four before next ball being stumped by Wallace as the canny Cosker claimed his third wicket and two balls later he claimed his fourth as Ben Foakes was caught at long-off.
After Sam Curran lofted Wagg for six in the penultimate over, Ingram delivered the final over with James Burke also being caught in the deep after opting for the aerial route, before Lloyd ran out Gareth Batty as Surrey ended on 146/8. Craig Meschede and Rudolph then began Glamorgan's reply with the latter reverse-lapping Batty before cutting Matthew Dunn for four through backward point.
Meschede also found the ropes as he swateed Azhar Mahmood to mid-wicket but the Pakistani gained revenge with the final ball of the over as Rudolph spliced a lifting delivery into Wilson's gloves. 21/1 saw Ingram join Meschede who then flicked Tim Linley to fine-leg before nonchalantly lofting him for six to long-on. Next ball he fiercely square-cut the seamer for four, before more deftly cutting the next to the ropes. After two wides, the over ended with Ingram being caught behind from the final ball as Cooke joined Meschede on 41/2. Azhar then delivered a rare maiden before Meschede drilled a ball from Burke back towards the bowler who deflected it onto the stumops with Cooke stranded out of his ground.
45/3 saw Graham Wagg arrive at the crease with Glamorgan needing 102 from 14.1 overs, but there were to be superhuman batting feats tonight as he edged Azhar into Wilson's gloves. Two balls later Meschede also departed l.b.w. to the Pakistani as Glamorgan's nosedive continued to 46/5. Wallace brought up the fifty but ten runs later he lost Lloyd who departed leg before to Elgar's left-arm spin.
Parnell joined Wallace with 87 needed from 10.1 overs and struck the first boundary for eight overs as he lofted Elgar over the River Stand for six. But at the other end, Batty continued in frugal mode as the equation became 54 from 36 balls. Seventeen year-old Sam Curran then entered the attack and caused Wallace to pull the ball into Foakes' hands at deep mid-wicket as Glamorgan slipped to 94/7.
Salter duly joined Parnell and scampered some swift singles but the boundaries remained elusive as the required rate soared above 10, and in a bid to clear the ropes Parnell perished as he mowed Curran high to third man where Linley completed the catch. This left Glamorgan on 108/4 and with Cosker as his new partner, Salter swatted Burke straight for four before Cosker drilled him through mid-off for four as the target became 31 from 12 balls.
Salter struck a brace of two's in Curran's final over but the youngster held his nerve and had Cosker caught by Wilson as he attempted another large blow. With Hogan in the middle, 22 were needed off last over from Burke but Hogan holed out at long-off from the third ball as Glamorgan lost by 19 runs