A typically forthright 77* by Michael Klinger, plus a cameo with bat and ball by Ryan Higgins, and a return of 3/17 by Andrew Tye saw Gloucestershire complete a 30-run victory over Glamorgan at Cheltenham in the Vitality Blast, with the West Country side consolidating their position towards the top of the table.
The Welsh county made one change to their side from the one which lost last Friday night against Somerset at Cardiff with Ruaidhri Smith replacing Craig Meschede, and it was the young all-rounder who bowled the first over with Miles Hammond pulling the second delivery for six before cover-driving the fourth to the boundary boards. Andrew Salter bowled the second over and had his first delivery reverse-swept for four by Hammond who then, on 20, had a life as Kiran Carlson at mid-wicket spilled a catch and parried the ball into the boundary boards for six..
Michael Klinger then got into the action by pulling Michael Hogan for six over fine-leg before Hammond drilled Timm van der Gugten through extra cover for four before pulling the next ball over the boards at mid-wicket. But he perished next delivery as he under-edged a ball onto his stumps with his side on 43 after four overs. Klinger responded by straight driving the Dutchman for four.
Iain Cockbain began by thick-edging van der Gugten for four as Gloucestershire ended their powerplay on 59/1. Klinger found the ropes again as he cover-drove Colin Ingram before Cockbain off-drove the leg-spinner for another four. He also lofted him over the boards at mid-wicket and the outstretched hands of Carlson, but, with the total on 91, he perished against Salter as Chris Cooke executed a smart stumping.
Kieran Noema-Barnett joined Klinger and immediately pulled Smith for four, but the bowler gained instant revenge as the Kiwi snicked the next ball into Cooke’s gloves. Three balls later he struck again as Benny Howell drilled a ball into Hogan’s hands at mid-off as the home side slipped to 98/4. Ryan Higgins saw Gloucestershire into three figures by late-cutting Salter for four before Klinger pulled Smith for four followed by a huge six over long-on against Graham Wagg.
Klinger reached his fifty from 38 balls by outside-edging Wagg for four before Higgins lofted Wagg and van der Gugten high over long-off for a pair of huge sixes. He perished though in the 18th over as he drove Hogan to mid-off but was run out at the bowler’s end by a direct hit from Ingram.
Jack Taylor responded by lofting Hogan over extra-cover and wide mid-wicket for a pair of sixes before holing out in the penultimate over at wide third man as van der Gugten completed a good running catch. Andrew Tye though the six tally going as he lofted Wagg over long-on before Klinger clipped Hogan for successive fours to fine-leg and backward point. The home captain then pulled the next delivery over square-leg for six before clipping the next again to fine-leg and after two more runs, Gloucestershire ended on 197/6.
Aneurin Donald and Usman Khawaja began the chase with the former square-driving and cover-driving David Payne for a pair of fours followed by a scooped six over long-leg. Khawaja also found the ropes as he clipped his first ball from Higgins to long-leg, whilst Donald also swept Higgins high for six over the Gothic pavilion.
Donald then drilled Payne through the covers for four before the bowler completed a stunning catch in his follow-through to end Donald’s salvo. With his side on 34 after three overs Ingram made his way to the middle and after brief reconnaissance he pulled Payne for six before drilling the next two deliveries through mid-off for four. Another short-arm jab for six saw the over disappear for 20.
Khawaja then pulled Noema-Barnett’s first ball for six before cover-driving the second for four and inside-edging the third for four as Glamorgan ended the powerful on a healthy 72/1. The boundaries continued to flow as Khawaja cover drove Howell for four before depositing Tom Smith over deep mid-wicket, but he perished next ball as he miscued a sweep and was caught at square-leg. 89/2 saw Joe Burns join his captain but his stay was brief as five runs later he lofted Howell to deep fine-leg where Smith pouched the ball as Carlson joined Ingram who flat-batted Smith through the covers as the task became 96 from 10 overs.
Their cause took a further blow as Higgins returned at the Chapel End and caught a return drive from Ingram. Cooke began by nurdling Higgins for four before a flurry of one’s and two’s plus an inventive reverse-sweep by Carlson against Smith for four as the task became 74 from 7 overs. But Tye returned and removed Carlson who was also caught at long-on by Cockbain as Glamorgan entered the last six overs still needing 69 to win as Cooke and Wagg joined forces.
But two frugal overs then followed from Howell and Tye before the latter removed Cooke courtesy of another boundary catch by substitute fielder Chris Dent as he tried dispatch the Australian over long-off. 136/6 then became 137/7 as Wagg holed out at long-off as Cockbain caught another lofted drive off Higgins. Smith then scythed Higgins for six onto the roof of one of the marquees ringing the ground before losing Salter who chipped Tye to mid-off as Glamorgan slipped further to 145/8.
Timm van der Gugten dented Tye’s figures as he thick-edged him to third man before chipping Higgins into Klinger’s hands at mid-off as Glamorgan ended on 167/9 with Smith carving the last ball over point for six – only the third boundary in the final five overs.