Glamorgan travel to Hampshire for their next group match in the Royal London One-Day Cup, with the 50 overs contest at The Ageas Bowl on Friday, April 19th .
Whilst the Welsh county began with a 180-run defeat at the hands of the Essex Eagles at Cardiff (in a match which saw Michael Hogan claim his 100th wicket in List A cricket) reigning Royal London One-Day Cup winners Hampshire opened the defence of their title with a resounding victory at Canterbury by 90 runs against the Kent Spitfires.
Glamorgan were victorious in their most recent visit to Hampshire’s headquarters in the One-Day Cup, with Chris Cooke guiding the Welsh county to a stunning victory after Hampshire had posted 332-6 with James Vince making 178. In reply, Colin Ingram compiled a high-class hundred, but with 39 needed from 18 balls, Ingram miscued to backward point but, whilst the ball spiralled in the air, the batsmen switched ends.
Cooke then ferociously pulled the next delivery – a no-ball full toss from Ian Holland– for six before depositing the free hit over mid-wicket for another maximum in what proved to be a decisive passage of play as Hampshire seemingly relaxed believing the game had been won with Ingram’s departure.
How wrong they were as Meschede calmly drove Kyle Abbott back over his head for four and six, before being caught at long-on, to leave nine runs needed from the final over. After a trio of scampered singles, Cooke then deposited the penultimate ball from Reece Topley high over mid-wicket for yet another six to win the game and complete a record-breaking chase.
Glamorgan had also been victorious in their previous List A match against Hampshire, winning the game at The Ageas Bowl in September 2013 by 31 runs. This was the semi-final of the Yorkshire Bank40 competition and, after man-of-the-match Jim Allenby had made an unbeaten 74, some probing bowling and razor-sharp fielding saw Glamorgan clinch a place in a Lord’s final as the Welsh county won by 31 runs.
Last summer’s contest between the two teams in the 50 overs competition saw Hampshire visit Swansea. Mid-way through the visitors innings it looked like another Glamorgan victory, but spinner Brad Taylor and all-rounder Gareth Berg turned the contest on its head as they shared an 85-run stand to help the South Coast club to a four wicket victory.