Despite an unbeaten 67 by Jacques Rudolph, Glamorgan lost by one run after collapsing from 92/2 to 114/7 at Emirates Old Trafford as they lost their NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final in dramatic style to the Lancashire Lightning in the rain-affected contest.
Rain had fallen for most of the morning before easing off around 1pm as mopping up operations began in earnest. After a couple of inspections by the umpires - Peter Hartley and Jeff Evans - play will get underway at 3.15pm.
Glamorgan omitted Will Bragg and Ben Wright from their starting line-up, with Andrew Salter opening the bowling and conceding just two singles, before Ashwell Prince off-drove Graham Wagg for four. But two balls later Wagg yorked Prince.
Tom Smith responded by square-cutting Michael Hogan's first ball for four before Usman Khawaja also off-drove his fellow countryman for four, but Wagg struck again in his second over as Smith was caught behind. Khawaja again lofted Hogan for four before unleashing a rasping square-cut and another booming cover drive. Karl Brown also straight drove and square-cut Wagg for consecutive fours as the home side ended the powerplays on 45/2.
Another flurry of singles was ended in the 8
th over as Brown jaywalked past a delivery from Salter and was stumped by Wallace. 59/3 became 67/4 as Paul Horton reverse-swept Salter to backward point where Murray Goodwin belied the fact that he is the oldest man to appear in a T20 quarter-final by taking a fine diving catch.
Khawaja responded by reverse-sweeping Dean Cosker but the spinner, together with Salter kept things tight as Khawaja completed a 42-ball fifty. However in Cosker's final over the Australian harpooned him for six over deep mid-wicket as together with Steven Croft they tried to up the temp in the closing overs. But Cosker then took a superb diving catch at backward point to end Khawaja's stay at the crease and 121/5 then became 122/6 as Allenby caught a miscued drive by Croft after Rudolph had sustained a shoulder injury diving at long-leg.
Ben Wright duly came on as sub and in Hogan's final over he caught Alex Davies who miscued an expansive drive, Four balls later Wayne White did the same as Allenby at cover completed the catch before a scampered 2 off the final ball saw the Lightning end on 137/8.
With Rudolph having jarred his shoulder, Wallace opened the batting with Allenby against Croft and Smith, but after seven deliveries the rains returned and the players left the field after 1.1 overs. It led to an hour's stoppage with play resuming at 5.50pm with no overs being lost and with Rudolph, after treatment from the physiotherapist, ready to bat at number three.
It wasn't long though before he was at the wicket as five balls into the re-start, Wallace edged Smith into the wicket-keeper's gloves and the South African arrived in the middle with the total on 5/1. Allenby then straight drove Kyle Jarvis for four before off-driving and square-cutting Smith to the ropes. He then thick edged a drive against Jarvis to third man before cutting the Zimbabwean for another boundary.
Allenby then scythed Wayne White for four to backward point as Glamorgan ended the powerplays on 38/1. The pair then worked the ball around for singles as Steven Parry entered the attack. A six to mid-wicket by Rudolph brought up the fifty, despite Prince catching the ball and tumbling over the advertising boards. The Springbok celebrated his good fortune by inside-edging the next ball from White for four.
But with the total on 64, Allenby spooned a catch to Horton at short mid-wicket as Croft returned to the attack. Goodwin announced his arrival at the crease with a nonchalant flick to long-leg for four before a series of singles with Rudolph, who then pulled Croft for four. Goodwin then drilled Parry over extra cover for four as the tempo increased.
But Clark then replaced Croft and the game took a dramatic twist as the seamer bowled Goodwin with the total on 92. Chris Cooke joined Rudolph with 46 needed off 36 balls. With the clouds thickening again, Rudolph pulled Croft for four but next over Clark bowled Cooke and Stewart Walters in the space of three balls before David Lloyd edged to slip as Glamorgan nose-dived to 100/6 with the players then leaving the field as heavy rain fell again and forced the players off the field.
Clark's four wickets in eight balls for no runs meant that Glamorgan needed 38 from 24 balls when play resumed with Wagg joining Rudolph. White returned to the attack and his first ball was pulled for four by Rudolph as the equation became 29 off 18 balls. Clark then yielded just a single from the first four balls before Rudolph drove him through extra-cover to complete a 39-ball fifty.
This left Glamorgan needing 24 off 12 balls but Kyle Jarvis had Wagg caught at backward point with the first ball of the 19
th over. The batsmen crossed and Rudolph deftly reverse-swept the next ball to third man for four before getting a single off the next ball. Salter then pushed a single into the covers before Rudolph struck a two and a single to mid-wicket leaving 15 needed off Clark's final
Rudolph began with 2 to mid-wicket and another 2 over the keeper's head. Another 2 followed as deep extra-cover dropped the skied ball. Another two followed to long-on, but then a single followed to mid-on leaving Salter to hit a six off the last ball to win the game. He then edged the ball to third man as the home side celebrated their narrow victory.