Glamorgan end Blast group stages with back-to-back away trips

1 Jul 2022 | Cricket

Head coach Matt Maynard has named a 15-man squad for our final two Vitality Blast fixtures against the Essex Eagles on Saturday and Kent Spitfires on Sunday. 

Left-hander Billy Root makes his first appearance in the white-ball squad this summer after becoming only the third Glamorgan batter to finish 99* during our stunning run chase at New Road earlier this week.  

Wicket-keeper Chris Cooke also returns to the squad after battling a calf injury he picked up in the LV= County Championship match against Sussex. 

Glamorgan head into their final Vitality Blast group stage fixtures buoyed by the remarkable three-wicket win against Worcestershire in the LV= County Championship, where they recorded the sixth-highest run-chase in the Club’s history. 

The Welsh county currently sit sixth in the South Group table on 10 points, while Essex Eagles sit in third place on 15 points and the Spitfires prop up the bottom of the table on six points. 

Glamorgan are still mathematically able to qualify for the knockout stages but are dependent on results going their way tonight and then must win both their matches this weekend to stand any chance of reaching the quarter-finals. 

The Essex Eagles match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and the Welsh county will be looking to repeat their last performance in front of the cameras: a dominant six-wicket win against the same opposition in our first home game of the competition at Sophia Gardens. 

View from the camp – David Harrison 

“As it stands we’ve still got a chance of qualifying, that’ll be the plan when we leave Cardiff on Friday, to go to win the two games and give ourselves a chance. 

“There are games going on around us which’ll affect our qualification chances but our attitude has to be to try to win those two games. 

“It’s always a bit lively at Chelmsford on a weekend night, it’s on TV, Essex are a good team but we beat them in Cardiff on TV as well. A new challenge but something the boys should be excited about.” 

Head-to-head – Essex Eagles vs Glamorgan   

Glamorgan have won three and lost four of their previous T20 contests at Chelmsford, with – as the list below shows – their most recent match at Essex’s headquarters in 2021 seeing the home side canter to an eight-wicket victory after the Welsh county had been dismissed for 104 before Dan Lawrence posted a half-century. 

19 June, 2015 - Essex won by 16 runs 
29 July, 2016 - No Result 
16 July, 2017 - Glamorgan won by 5 wickets 
13 July, 2018 - Glamorgan won by 2 wickets 
16 Aug, 2019 - Match Abandoned 
1 July, 2021 - Essex won by 8 wickets 

In 2018 Glamorgan pulled off one of their greatest-ever run chases in white-ball cricket. However, such a scenario seemed unlikely as the visitors subsided to 110-8 chasing a target of 168. But Chris Cooke, together with the stoic support of Timm van der Gugten added 61 in 26 balls, with Chris striking a volley of massive sixes against the despondent attack before striking the final delivery for four to clinch a stunning victory by two wickets. 

How to watch/listen: 

The Essex Eagles game will be broadcast live on the Sky Sports Cameras, whilst the Kent Spitfires fixture will be live-streamed via our Match Zone and you can enjoy highlights and match updates on the club’s social media channels.  

Nick Webb and colleagues will also provide radio commentary for BBC Radio Wales.  

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