Despite a return of 4/27 by Graham Wagg, Hampshire defeated Glamorgan by 21 runs in their floodlit contest in the Nat West T20 Blast at the SWALEC Stadium.
The Welsh county made two changes to their side from the one which lost by five wickets last Friday against the Essex Eagles, with Ben Wright and Wayne Parnell appearing in place of Will Bragg and Ruaidhri Smith. Indeed, it was Parnell who opened the bowling and was drilled through extra cover by James Vince, but two balls later he tried to repeat the stroke and edged to Colin Ingram at slip. 4/1 saw Jimmy Adams join Michael Carberry and he announced his arrival by drilling Parnell through mid-on for four.
But he also perished shortly afterwards as he upper cut the debutant into the hands of Craig Meschede at third man. Owais Shah also began with a pulled four, whilst Carberry miscued a pull against Michael Hogan and nearly holed out to Mark Wallace. But next over he was less fortunate against Graham Wagg and the wicket-keeper pouched the catch as Hampshire slipped to 20/3. Sean Ervine responded by lofting Wagg over long-on for six, but with the total on 39, Hampshire lost a fourth wicket as Shah miscued a drive against Wagg into Ingram's hands at short mid-wicket.
But the visitors then upped the tempo as Adam Wheater lofted Andrew Salter straight for four, followed by a reverse-sweep against the spinner saw Hampshire past the 50-mark before Ervine reverse-lapped Meschede for four. Wheater also cover-drove the all-rounder before pulling the next ball to the ropes at mid-wicket as Hampshire reached 70/4 at the halfway stage.
Wheater then attempted one expansive blow too many against Salter and holed out to Parnell at long-on. The South African then returned to the attack and was pulled for four by Ervine who then brought up the hundred by hoisting Salter over the River Stand but one short of his own half-century, he departed l.b.w. to Wagg. Will Smith, after a series of one's and two's, reverse-swept Cosker for four in the spinner's final over.
In the penultimate over, Chris Wood flicked Wagg to fine-leg for four before Smith miscued a drive to Salter. Wagg then nearly claimed a fifth scalp with his final ball but the fielder at cover spilled the skier, but Hogan struck again in the closing over as Yasir Arafat drilled the fast bowler to Rudolph at mid-off as Hampshire ended on 148/8.
Ben Wright opened with Rudolph but he was bowled by the second ball of the innings before the Glamorgan captain cover drove Wood's first ball. But the left-armer then bowled Chris Cooke with the total on 5 as Glamorgan also made a stuttering start. Ingram then pulled Smith for four but he then became another victim for Wood as he appeared to play onto his stumps.
Wallace then joined Rudolph and cover drove Wood for four as Glamorgan ended the powerplays on 23/3. Wallace then harpooned Fidel Edwards over mid-wicket for six before Rudolph reverse-swept Danny Briggs for four before a flurry of singles as the pair took the Welsh county to 59/3 at the halfway stage. Rudolph greeted the return of Smith by striking successive balls for four before late cutting Ervine for four. However with the total on 82 he pulled a ball from Ervine into the hands of deep mid-wicket shortly before rain started to fall with the players leaving the field on 84/4 after 13.2 overs.
It only proved to be a short shower as twenty minutes were lost but with the second ball of the resumption, Briggs bowled Meschede. Wagg joined Wallace with Glamorgan needing 63 to win from 37 balls and after a tight final over from Briggs, Wagg off-drove Arafat for four but Wallace then holed out to long-on attempting to clear the ropes for another maximum. His departure saw Parnell join Wagg with 44 needed off 18 balls.
Wood then returned for his final over at the Cathedral Road End and conceded four runs besides bowling Parnell as the Springbok also played onto his stumps before next ball having Salter caught behind as he trumped Wagg's earlier efforts with a return of 4/16. Arafat - the veteran of 200 Twenty20 games - only gave away eight runs in his final over leaving Glamorgan requiring 32 to win from Edwards last over. Wagg and Cosker only garnered nine runs as Hampshire continued their winning ways at Glamorgan's headquarters as they secured a 21 run victory.