Glamorgan extended their lead at the top of the South Division with a 25-run victory over the Kent Spitfires built around an unbeaten 77 by Jacques Rudolph plus 50 from Aneurin Donald and a cameo from David Miller who made 43* from 26 balls, before yet another disciplined bowling performance saw them continue in winning ways in the NatWest T20 Blast at Canterbury.
Despite the washout at Cardiff on Friday night, Glamorgan remain on top of the South Division, and with Timm van der Gugten unwell, the Welsh county made one change to their side which defeated Gloucestershire last Tuesday at Bristol with Lukas Carey making his debut in the short form of the game. Jacques Rudolph and Aneurin Donald opened the batting as Darren Stevens and Jimmy Neesham shared the new ball. After a flurry of singles and wides, Donald struck successive fours off Coles through mid-off and to the ropes at fine-leg. Later in a productive over, Rudolph drilled the all-rounder through extra-cover for another four, before Donald swatted Neesham for four followed next ball by a drive on the up through point for another crisply-struck boundary.
Donald continued the turbo-charged start by plonking Mitch Claydon to the ropes at long-on before Rudolph deftly glanced Neesham to fine-leg as Glamorgan galloped to the fifty-mark after 31 balls. Donald then cover-drove Neesham for four as Glamorgan reached 62/0 at the end of the powerplays. James Tredwell enterted the attack and was reverse-swept for four by Donald before Rudolph hoiked Haggett to fine-leg.
Donald swatted Haggett for four en route to a 30-ball fifty but he was bowled next delivery by the all-rounder with Ingram arriving at the crease with his side on 88/1. He began with a series of singles before Rudolph chopped Haggett for four to third man before bringing up the hundred with a reverse-sweep for six over third man. Ingram then swept Tredwell for six into the car park of the supermarket adjoining the ground before Rudolph survived chance at long-off as Coles spilled the ball diving forward.
But the all-rounder atoned next over as he removed Ingram courtesy of a good running catch at log-off by Daniel Bell-Drummond. 118/2 saw David Miller join his captain who completed his half-century from 35 balls, before launching Tredwell over extra-cover and to long-on for a pair of ferocious fours. Miller found the ropes as he square-drove Haggett before pulling Coles for four and then driving Claydon to long-off for another four.
Miller then clipped Neesham for a pair of fours to fine-leg followed by an upper-cut to third man. Rudolph did the same to Claydon in the final over before launching him off long-off for four. Ingram then struck the penultimate ball for six over mid-wicket as Glamorgan ended on 199/2 with Rudolph unbeaten on 77.
Needing to score at ten an over on what appeared to be a shirtfront surface, the Spitfires began with Joe Denly and Daniel Bell-Drummond whilst Andrew Salter bowled the first over before Michael Hogan delivered the second during which Denly lofted him for six to long-on before swatting the next ball to the mid-wicket ropes for four. Carey bowled the next and with his third delivery saw Bell-Drummond chop the ball onto his stumps.
Sam Northeast made his way to the middle with his side on 21/1 and swatted Marchant de Lange for four to third man. Denly also off-drove and cover drove Graham Wagg for a trio of fours before Northeast swatted Hogan to the boards at mid-wicket as Kent eased to the 50-mark in the sixth over. The captain celebrated by sweeping Ingram for six just over the head of the fielder at mid-wicket before Denly did the same perilously close to the out-stretched hands of Donald at long-off.
Denly was nearly stumped shortly afterwards before Northeast swept Ingram for another maximum followed by lofted off-drives for six against Wagg and Carey as he raced to fifty from 28 balls with a ferocious pull for four against Carey as the equation became 90 from 9 overs. De Lange returned and struck a blow for the Welsh county as Northeast, on 60, swatted a ball to Hogan at mid-wicket.
Alex Blake joined Denly who drove Wagg over log-on for six to maintain the helter-skelter chase before a scampered single saw him to fifty from 35 balls. Craig Meschede then had Blake caught at long-on by Donald as Neesham became Denly’s new partner with the task becoming 71 from 36 balls. After two overs without a boundary the Kiwi slogged De Lange for four through mid-on but Meschede delivered a second frugal over as the equation became 57 from 24 balls.
Hogan returned for the last two overs at the Nackington Road End and was drilled for a straight six by Denly as the task became 46 from 18 balls but the pair could only garner five singles before Wagg removed Denly with his last ball as he swatted it to Hogan at deep mid-wicket. 41 were needed from 12 balls as Sam Billings joined Neesham but the pair only scored five runs in de Lange’s final over before Hogan’s last over yielded ten runs as the Welsh county eased to a 25-run victory.