Glamorgan broke their winless streak in the 2025 Metro Bank One Day Cup, by clinching victory in the final group match against Leicestershire at Sophia Gardens. After a difficult campaign for the defending champions, Kiran Carlson’s side produced a spirited display to seal the win in the final round of group games.
Glamorgan won the toss and sent the visitors out to bat and Leicestershire started proceedings strongly. Sol Budinger got the visitors up and running nicely by scoring 33 runs in under 20 balls but was dismissed in the 5th over after a fabulous catch by debutant Tom Norton in the deep.
Budinger’s opening partner Rishi Patel soon followed just 6 balls after as he was caught by Asa Tribe for 6 runs, putting pressure on the incoming batters.
However, Lewis Hill scored his 2nd half century of the campaign as he put on an unbeaten 81 runs, giving the Foxes an advantage midway through their innings.
Shan Masood, Leicestershire’s talisman in their previous game against now-qualified Worcestershire Rapids, came to the middle with expectations of another strong performance but 18-year-old Tom Norton got the better of the Pakistani Test captain as he was adjudged to be out LBW for a measly 18 runs.
Australian international Peter Handscomb was next in for the Foxes but was limited to 42 runs as a spectacular run-out by Henry Hurle left the East-Midlands side 4-down after 30 overs.
Leicestershire’s lower order could not get a foothold in the innings as none of the remaining batters could score over 25 runs, as catch by Tom Norton to dismiss Alex Green gave 18-year-old Romano Franco his 3rd wicket and figures of 3 for 59. Tom Norton was amongst the wickets as he took figures of 3 for 41 as Leicestershire set Glamorgan 275 to win.
Glamorgan started their chase well but after the early wickets of Eddie Byrom and Henry Hurle, Glamorgan were 49 for 2. However, fortunes changed for the hosts when Kiran Carlson and Asa Tribe contributed a 50 partnership in 33 balls to give the side the upper hand.
Their partnership was soon broken as Carlson was caught by Sol Budinger on the 30-yard circle. The new batter Will Smale partnered well with Asa Tribe who in Glamorgan’s previous game against Worcestershire scored a career-best 122, as the two in the middle created a 50 partnership off 53 balls.
Smale and Tribe then had an excellent 100-run partnership in 121 balls as Glamorgan looked to reaffirm their stance of victory in the closing overs. 3 balls later, Asa Tribe hit back-to-back centuries, this time in just 109 balls. In the following over, Will Smale scored his 50 off 64 balls as Glamorgan were in the driving seat for their first win in the competition. The partnership did not end there, as in the back end of the 44th over, Will Smale and Asa Tribe’s partnership grew to 150 to 163 balls.
Victory for Glamorgan was fittingly sealed when in-form batter Asa Tribe flicked the ball for 4 on the leg side in the 46th over to conclude their Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign for 2025.
Glamorgan Men will continue their season with Division 2 Rothesay County Championship action away at Northampton, with Day 1 commencing on Monday the 8th September at 10:30am.