17 Jul 2015 | Cricket
Glamorgan head into tonight's NatWest T20 Blast clash at Tunbridge Wells as one of five teams on twelve points behind Kent and Sussex Sharks, but due to an inferior run rate to the others, they know they need to win their two remaining games - against Kent this evening and Gloucestershire at Cardiff next Friday.
Robert Croft, their assistant coach and a veteran of 88 T20 games, recognises they must be mindful of the run rate at Tunbridge Wells, but two points will be of prime significance.
We must keep reassessing the position in relation to the run rate, says Croft, but first of all, we have to win and if the opportunity does come along to press the accelerator- then so be it.
Kent will provide formidable opposition, especially at home, with nine wins out of twelve, they top the competitive South Group, although their Championship form has been disappointing culminating in another defeat against Surrey yesterday.
Although Kent will have home advantage, they will not be sure of how the pitch will play, as it is a club ground with only four T20 games played there during the last nine years.
There's one change in the Glamorgan squad that lost against Sussex Sharks last week, with 18 year old Aneurin Donald expected to get another opportunity, after he struck an entertaining half century in the Championship defeat against Essex earlier this week.
Donald, according to Croft, is an exciting young player who has been encouraged to play his natural game, and enjoy his batting.
It will also be interest to observe Glamorgan's batting order for this game - whether they will go all-out attack from the start, or a more conventional route, with Jacques Rudolph and Colin Ingram laying the foundation with the hitters to follow. It promises to be high scoring affair, with a sell-out crowd in attendance.
Kent Spitfires v Glamorgan Statistics
• Two players have been out for 0 on four separate occasions this season in the NatWest Blast; one plays for Kent Spitfires (Coles) and one for Glamorgan (Meschede).
• The Spitfires have never lost to Glamorgan in this format of the game (W4 T1).
• Kent have won five straight Blast games heading into this one.
• Glamorgan's last six wins in this format have come when batting first.
• Sam Northeast has registered more fours than any other player this season in the Blast (64).
Tonight's other South Group fixtures
Surrey v Somerset
Essex Eagles v Middlesex
Sussex Sharks v Hampshire
Middlesex v Surrey
Hampshire v Somerset