Glamorgan clinched a quarter-final spot in the competition for the first time since 2008 as a clinical performance by the bowlers, supported by some energetic fielding saw Gloucestershire restricted to 108/9 before the home side coasted to their target in just a dozen overs to record a comprehensive victory by eight wickets in their final group game in the NatWest T20 Blast at the SWALEC Stadium.
The Welsh county called up the in-form David Lloyd who two days ago struck a double-hundred against Warwickshire 2
nd XI in place of Will Owen. Jacques Rudolph and Graham Wagg took the new ball with the former nearly bowling Michael Klinger with his fourth delivery, but the visiting captain was not so fortunate next over as Graham Wagg clean bowled him, before the left-armer struck a second blow as Chris Dent edged into Mark Wallace's gloves..
By this time, Alex Gidman had scored the first boundary as he cut Rudolph for four, but Michael Hogan delivered a probing opening over which yielded just a couple of overs and nearly saw Gidman being run out. Hamish Marshall then cover drove Wagg for four but despite this show of aggression, Gloucestershire were still restricted to a mere 29/2 at the end of the powerplays.
Gidman was then run out by a superb throw from Chris Cooke before Marshall chipped a catch to Hogan at mid-off as Allenby struck in his second over. The Glamorgan captain then claimed his second wicket as Iain Cockbain edged a drive into Wallace's gloves as Gloucestershire stuttered to 50/5 at the halfway stage. Benny Howell and Adam Rouse then worked the ball around for one's and two's as the boundaries still proved elusive against the accurate Glamorgan spinners.
In a bid to up the tempo Rouse then risked a second run to Stewart Walters at long-on but he perished in the attempt as the visitors lost their sixth wicket on 74. Jack Taylor then biffed Cosker over extra cover for six before scampering some furious singles in the closing overs with Howell, before Taylor was superbly caught on the deep extra cover boundary by Cooke. To Hogan's next ball Howell spooned a ball into Cosker's hands at backward point, before to the first ball of the final over another fine throw by Cooke ran out Tom Smith. Debutant Robbie Montgomery then drilled Wagg straight for six before missing the last two balls as Gloucestershire ended on 108/9.
Rudolph and Allenby then began the chase with the latter setting the tone as he unleashed four coruscating cover drives against Montgomery, as the youngster yielded more boundaries in his opening over than Glamorgan conceded throughout the entire Gloucestershire innings as the songs started to echo around the Stadium from the home supporters. Rudolph also clipped Tom Smith's first ball to mid-wicket for four but three balls later, Allenby drilled the spinner into extra cover's hands.
27/1 then became 29/2 as Smith bowled Wallace, but Murray Goodwin relieved the tension by sweeping Smith for two fours before Rudolph on-drove David Payne for three. After a further flurry of singles, Goodwin clipped Howell to deep mid-wicket for two to bring up the fifty before drilling Montgomery straight for four when the trialist switched to the River End.
Rudolph also straight drove him before Goodwin lofted Jack Taylor's first delivery over mid-off for four before Rudolph straight drove him, as well as receiving five runs from an overthrow as Gloucestershire's ground fielding proved to be not as accurate as Glamorgan's as the fifty stand came up with 27 needed off the last ten overs.
They proceeded to canter towards their target as Rudolph swept Smith for four before off-driving Montgomery for four. Goodwin then drilled him for six to bring up the hundred before swatting him high over mid-wicket to win the game as Glamorgan qualify for the quarter-finals and head north to Manchester next Friday evening to meet the Lancashire Lightning who last night defeated the Durham Jets to clinch top spot in the North Division and Glamorgan reach the last eight of the competition for only the third time in the Club's history, and the first time by right since 2004.
Glamorgan clinched a quarter-final spot in the competition for the first time since 2008 as a clinical performance by the bowlers, supported by some energetic fielding saw Gloucestershire restricted to 108/9 before the home side coasted to their target in just a dozen overs to record a comprehensive victory by eight wickets in their final group game in the NatWest T20 Blast at the SWALEC Stadium.
The Welsh county called up the in-form David Lloyd who two days ago struck a double-hundred against Warwickshire 2
nd XI in place of Will Owen. Jacques Rudolph and Graham Wagg took the new ball with the former nearly bowling Michael Klinger with his fourth delivery, but the visiting captain was not so fortunate next over as Graham Wagg clean bowled him, before the left-armer struck a second blow as Chris Dent edged into Mark Wallace's gloves..
By this time, Alex Gidman had scored the first boundary as he cut Rudolph for four, but Michael Hogan delivered a probing opening over which yielded just a couple of overs and nearly saw Gidman being run out. Hamish Marshall then cover drove Wagg for four but despite this show of aggression, Gloucestershire were still restricted to a mere 29/2 at the end of the powerplays.
Gidman was then run out by a superb throw from Chris Cooke before Marshall chipped a catch to Hogan at mid-off as Allenby struck in his second over. The Glamorgan captain then claimed his second wicket as Iain Cockbain edged a drive into Wallace's gloves as Gloucestershire stuttered to 50/5 at the halfway stage. Benny Howell and Adam Rouse then worked the ball around for one's and two's as the boundaries still proved elusive against the accurate Glamorgan spinners.
In a bid to up the tempo Rouse then risked a second run to Stewart Walters at long-on but he perished in the attempt as the visitors lost their sixth wicket on 74. Jack Taylor then biffed Cosker over extra cover for six before scampering some furious singles in the closing overs with Howell, before Taylor was superbly caught on the deep extra cover boundary by Cooke. To Hogan's next ball Howell spooned a ball into Cosker's hands at backward point, before to the first ball of the final over another fine throw by Cooke ran out Tom Smith. Debutant Robbie Montgomery then drilled Wagg straight for six before missing the last two balls as Gloucestershire ended on 108/9.
Rudolph and Allenby then began the chase with the latter setting the tone as he unleashed four coruscating cover drives against Montgomery, as the youngster yielded more boundaries in his opening over than Glamorgan conceded throughout the entire Gloucestershire innings as the songs started to echo around the Stadium from the home supporters. Rudolph also clipped Tom Smith's first ball to mid-wicket for four but three balls later, Allenby drilled the spinner into extra cover's hands.
27/1 then became 29/2 as Smith bowled Wallace, but Murray Goodwin relieved the tension by sweeping Smith for two fours before Rudolph on-drove David Payne for three. After a further flurry of singles, Goodwin clipped Howell to deep mid-wicket for two to bring up the fifty before drilling Montgomery straight for four when the trialist switched to the River End.
Rudolph also straight drove him before Goodwin lofted Jack Taylor's first delivery over mid-off for four before Rudolph straight drove him, as well as receiving five runs from an overthrow as Gloucestershire's ground fielding proved to be not as accurate as Glamorgan's as the fifty stand came up with 27 needed off the last ten overs.
They proceeded to canter towards their target as Rudolph swept Smith for four before off-driving Montgomery for four. Goodwin then drilled him for six to bring up the hundred before swatting him high over mid-wicket to win the game as Glamorgan qualify for the quarter-finals. They will head north to Manchester next Friday evening to meet the Lancashire Lightning who last night defeated the Durham Jets to clinch top spot in the North Division with Glamorgan reaching the last eight of the competition for only the third time in the Club's history, and the first time by right since 2004.