Gloucestershire ended Glamorgan’s winning run in the NatWest T20 Blast as they comprehensively beat the Welsh county by nine wickets at The SSE SWALEC.
This afternoon’s game saw the top two teams in the T20 competition go head-to-head with the Welsh county on the crest of a wave after emphatic back-to-back victories on Thursday against the Sussex Sharks at Cardiff, followed on Friday night against Middlesex at Richmond, which have taken Glamorgan back to the top of the group table, and with another win this afternoon, within touching distance of a quarter-final place.
Glamorgan fielded an unchanged side with David Lloyd and Mark Wallace opening the batting again after adding 125 against Middlesex at Richmond. It nearly only became 2 as Wallace was dropped at slip as he edged an upper cut against Matt Taylor. Lloyd also had a moment of god fortune as he inside-edged a drive to the fine-leg ropes in Liam Norwell’s opening over. He celebrated by drilling Taylor through the covers for four before swatting a short ball from Norwell to the square-leg boundary.
As on Friday night the pair scampered some quick singles, before Wallace launched Andrew Tye over extra-cover for four, followed next ball by a pull for another four to fine-leg. But the introduction of Graeme van Buuren’s left-arm spin ended the opening stand as Lloyd miscued a drive to the hands of cover.
42/1 then became 46/2 as after Colin Ingram had swept his first delivery for four he was trapped l.b.w. by the spinner. Jacques Rudolph joined Wallace as Glamorgan reached 57/2 at the halfway stage. But four runs later Glamorgan lost their third wicket as Tom Smith bowled Wallace.
Aneurin Donald joined Rudolph as Benny Howell, one of the most economical bowlers in this form of cricket, settled into a frugal spell at the River End, whilst the spinners wheeled away at the Cathedral Road End. Donald broke the sequence of ones and dot balls by cover-driving Smith. But next ball he lofted the spinner into the hands of Iain Cockbain at long-off as Glamorgan slipped to 69/4.
Graham Wagg announced his arrival by cover driving Smith for four but there was little on offer as the visiting attack continued in parsimonious vein with Howell conceding just thirteen singles in his four overs. With the total on 87 Rudolph departed leg before as van Buuren returned. Craig Meschede was then run out by Hamish Marshall attempting a second run to long-on.
Timm van der Gugten then smeared van Buuren for four whilst Wagg flicked Tye in the last over to long-leg for four before lofting his next delivery straight for six, A second maximum also came in the over as Wagg swatted him over long-on as Glamorgan ended on 119/6.
Wagg was swiftly back into action with the ball with Klinger square-driving the first ball for four before on-driving a ball from Shaun Tait next over to the ropes at mid-wicket. Klinger also off-drove Michael Hogan for three as Glamorgan’s pace attack each had one over in a bid to make early inroads, and it was van der Gugten who did the trick in the fourth over as Marshall edged a poul into Wallace’s gloves
23/1 saw Iain Cockbain join Klinger and he began by pulling Hogan for four, before Klinger clipped the fast bowler to long-leg for another boundary. Cockbain then secured four boundaries in an over as he swatted van der Gugten through the covers before punching him through mid-off followed by a rasping pull to mid-wicket, and a fierce cut through point as the visitors ended the powerplays on 50/1
Ingram’s leg-spin was then introduced but Cockbain biffed another four as he drilled him through extra-cover. Dean Cosker then joined Ingram and began in frugal style before Klinger cut Ingram for a further boundary as Gloucestershire eased to 73/1 at the halfway stage.
Cockbain swept Cosker for four before Hogan and Tait returned in a bid to gain wickets and halt Gloucestershire’s serene progress, but Cockbain drove Hogan four through point whilst, after Tait had over-stepped, Klinger clipped him to the mid-wicket ropes for four. Klinger then steered Meschede through point to reach 50 from 44 balls before Cockbain top-edged a free-hit from Tait over Wallace’s head for six to complete a 40-ball fifty. Klinger duly ended the contest next ball by straight-driving Meschede for four as Gloucestershire cruised to a nine-wicket win with 23 balls to spare.