In a rain-affected 33-over game, Glamorgan posted a challenging 187 for eight, thanks to a heroic and unbeaten 65 from 20-year-old Ben Kellaway, who saved the hosts from a dire situation at 27 for three.
Dan Douthwaite was outstanding with the ball, taking a List A career-best return of four for 25, including the pivotal wicket of James Bracey, whose valiant 79-ball 86 ultimately went in vain.
Gloucestershire seemed poised to claim yet another Severnside derby victory, but Douthwaite and Andy Gorvin orchestrated a dramatic collapse, reducing Gloucestershire from 157 for five to 160 all out.
Gloucestershire won the toss and opted to field after a lengthy delay. Jack Taylor’s decision initially appeared astute, with openers Josh Shaw and Ajeet Singh Dale exploiting early seam movement to rattle the Glamorgan middle-order.
Will Smale couldn’t replicate his fine form from Friday’s record-breaking Vitality Blast game, falling for a duck, followed by Eddie Byrom’s dismissal for five, giving the Gloucestershire openers a wicket each.
Captain Kiran Carlson and Billy Root provided much-needed stability, forming a crucial 49-run partnership from 41 balls, capitalizing on loose deliveries from Goodman and Zaman Akhter.
However, more untimely wickets left Glamorgan in trouble again. Carlson’s edged cut was caught by Bracey, and Root was similarly dismissed off Akhter. Debutant Asa Tribe and his 20-year-old teammate Kellaway then mounted a crucial rebuild from 99 for five with only 14 overs remaining.
Kellaway’s innings featured a series of elegant drives through and over extra cover, showcasing his class and resilience. His partnerships with Tribe, Douthwaite, and Timm van der Gugten were vital in ensuring Glamorgan batted through their full allocation of overs, despite slow periods towards the innings' end.
Gloucestershire’s chase began similarly to Glamorgan’s innings. Timm van der Gugten and Jamie McIlroy replicated the early movement, taking the wickets of Cameron Bancroft, Ollie Price, and Miles Hammond for just 44.
Bracey’s brilliance kept the visitors in the contest. Much like Kellaway for Glamorgan, Bracey’s solo effort threatened to steal the game away.
Glamorgan had a near-miss when a Bracey skier off Douthwaite just evaded Tribe at deep square leg when he was on 61 with the score at 99 for four.
Despite supportive 14-run innings from Charlesworth and Taylor, Graeme van Buuren’s aggressive knock, including three fours and a six, eased the pressure on Bracey in their 41-run partnership, leaving just 31 needed from the final six overs.
Yet, in a dramatic twist, Douthwaite and Gorvin swung the match in Glamorgan's favor, securing a memorable victory in another Severnside derby thriller.
Glamorgan's Dan Douthwaite remarked, “We always want to make it interesting at Glamorgan, but Andy Gorvin, Ben Kellaway, and I believed we were only one or two wickets away even though it looked unlikely at times. It was a bit fortuitous the way I got Bracey with a chop-on, but his luck ran out. It’s an exciting start with a win in a new competition after a disappointing T20. The vibes are really good as we look to go again at Surrey on Sunday.”
Gloucestershire coach Mark Thornburn conceded, “For 60 overs of that game we competed really well and did some good things, but fell a bit short at the end. It was a challenging wicket, and credit to Bracey for an exceptional innings. With Graeme van Buuren’s cameo, we thought we were close to the finish line.”