David Lloyd struck 81 from 55 balls whilst Timm van der Gugten took 4/17 as Glamorgan beat the Sussex Sharks by 46 runs in their match in the NatWest T20 Blast at The SSE SWALEC.
Glamorgan began the game four points behind leaders Gloucestershire, and with three games in hand over the leaders as they looked to continue their winning ways and close the gap on Gloucestershire. The Welsh county made two changes to their line-up with Shaun Tait replacing Dale Steyn, whilst Mark Wallace replaced the injured Chris Cooke.
It was Wallace who opened the batting with David Lloyd as the latter pulled Chris Jordan for four in the second over. The opening pair also scampered a series of singles before Lloyd square-cut Tymal Mills’ first delivery for four, followed by a pull to the mid-wicket ropes off the third ball of the over.
But with the total on 29, Wallace departed as he drilled Nuwan Kulusekera into the covers where Ross Taylor took a good catch diving to his left. Colin Ingram announced his arrival by driving and pulling the Sri Lankan for a pair of fours, followed by a rasping pull to the mid-wicket pair against Mills.
Lloyd saw Glamorgan to the 50-mark as he struck successive balls from Danny Briggs for four through extra cover. He then nurdled the next ball to third man for four before launching the next into the River Stand for six, and with the spinner also conceding five wides, the over cost 24 runs.
Will Beer then removed Ingram with his fourth delivery as the South African pulled a ball high to Kulusekera on the mid-wicket boundary. Jacques Rudolph joined Lloyd who completed his fifty from 32 balls by straight driving and cover-driving Beer for successive fours.
Glamorgan had reached 87 at the halfway stage with Rudolph initially working the ball around for singles as Lloyd continued to find the ropes, dabbing Chris Nash to third man. Rudolph then brought up the 100 as he swept Beer to fine-leg before on-driving the leg-spinner for another boundary. Lloyd then swept Nash for four before drilling him for a straight six, and to show his hand had healed Rudolph dispatched Nash for a massive six into the trees at the River End.
The Glamorgan captain added a deft nudge for four against Kulusekera, before next ball driving him into the hands of cover. The Sri Lankan then had Aneurin Donald caught behind first ball as Graham Wagg joined Lloyd with Glamorgan on 128/4 in the 14th over. He began by heaving Kulusekera for four to mid-wicket but then drilled him into long-off’s hands.
Craig Meschede became Lloyd’s new partner as the opening batsman cover drove Jordan but two balls later he miscued another lusty drive and was caught by Phil Salt running in from mid-off. Mills then removed Timm van der Gugten and Meschede in the space of three balls in the 18th over as momentum was lost. Dean Cosker and Michael Hogan then scampered further singles to take Glamorgan to 159/8.
Wagg then began by conceding a solitary single in the opening over whilst Shaun Tait also yielded just six runs in his opening over. In a bid to up the tempo, Luke Wright swatted at van der Gugten’s second delivery and edged into Wallace’s gloves. Sussex continued to accumulate solely in singles as Hogan entered the attack and the first boundary came in the fifth over as Salt, like a tennis player at Wimbledon, forehand smashed a short ball from van der Gugten to wide long-on.
But with the total on 18 Nash departed as he swatted the Dutchman to wide mid-off where Rudolph held a good running catch. Salt then departed in identical fashion to Van der Gugten’s next delivery as he miscued a drive. Matt Machan then came in and pulled Tait for four, before clubbing Cosker’s first two deliveries to the leg-side ropes. Ross Taylor also harpooned the spinner for six into the Grandstand before sweeping Meschede for four to fine-leg.
But the Kiwi then perished trying to repeat the stroke against a slower ball with van der Gugten at short fine-leg completing the catch. 59/4 saw Jordan join Machan but the latter departed nine runs later as he also miscued a drive against Wagg to mid-off . The boundaries remained few and far between as Hogan returned and the tall bowler removed Jordan who played across a ball in a desperate bid to up the tempo.
76/6 saw Kulusekera appear with a runner but he only lasted two balls as Hogan bowled the Sri Lankan.. The Australian then atoned for a dropped catch at long-on by safely pouching another skier from Cachopa as Sussex slipped further to 80/8. Briggs flayed a couple of boundaries before swatting Van der Gugten to deep square-leg where Donald held a good catch and the contest ended as Beer swiped Wagg to mid-wicket where Ingram held the catch as Glamorgan won by 46 runs.