85 by George Hankins, plus 80 from Chris Dent, who shared an opening stand of 147, guided Gloucestershire to an eight-wicket victory over Glamorgan in their opening match in the Royal London One-Day Cup at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.
Match Report
After omitting Tom Cullen and Lukas Carey from their 13-man squad, Colin Ingram won his first toss as Glamorgan captain and he had no hesitation in opting to bat first as his side looked to emulate their efforts last summer at Bristol by winning their opening white ball game against Gloucestershire. Nick Selman and Jack Murphy opened the batting, with the former steering Dan Worrall through backward point for four, before the latter – in his first List A game against county opposition – also edged the Australian through the gully for four.
Selman then flicked to fine-leg for four before clipping the next ball to the fence at mid-wicket. Next over he drilled Taylor through the covers for four before on-driving the seamer for another boundary. But with the total on 33, Ryan Higgins entered the fray and ended the opening stand with his first delivery as Murphy, advancing down the wicket, miscued a drive into Howell’s hands at extra cover. Shaun Marsh joined Selman who unfurled a booming off-drive for four as Glamorgan ended the first powerplay on 43/1.
Chris Liddle then joined the attack and also claimed a wicket with his first delivery as Selman driving outside off stump edged into the gloves of Gareth Roderick. This heralded the arrival of Ingram in the middle and the return of Worrall at the Cathedral Road End, with Marsh – who posted a century in the Championship contest against the same attack - cover driving his fellow Aussie for four. Ingram began by pulling a shot ball from Liddle for four whilst his partner deftly glanced the seamer to fine-leg for four.
After a series of well-placed singles, Ingram harpooned Howell for four to mid-wicket as Glamorgan reached the 100-mark in the 22nd over. Marsh then guided Howell for four to third man before Ingram swept Tom Smith to the ropes at fine-leg. Marsh then completed a 60-ball fifty before celebrating by straight-driving Smith for six but after Ingram greeted the return of Worrall by pulling him for four, the pace bowler ended the third wicket stand with the total on 145, as Ingram chipped delivery into Howell’s hands at short extra-cover.
Five runs later Worrall also dismissed Marsh as the batsman feathered a rising ball into Roderick’s gloves. Chris Cooke and David Lloyd then joined forces and steadied the ship with a series of one’s and two’s before the latter square-cut Howell for four whilst the former cover drove Taylor. Lloyd brought up the 200 with a rasping cover drive for four against Liddle, followed next over by a four to backward square-leg against Howell.
Lloyd had a life next over as Higgins dropped a chance at backward point, whilst Cooke top-edged Liddle over the keeper’s head. Cooke also pulled Howell to square-leg for four but next ball was bowled for 39 as Graham Wagg arrived in the middle with the total on 225/5. He began by swatting Worrall for four before some further Zorro-esque swishes for one’s but with the total on 238 Worrall re-arranged the lusty all-rounder’s stumps.
Four runs later Lloyd who had felled umpire Alex Wharf with a straight-drive, holed out at deep square-leg and Liddle claimed another scalp later in the over as Salter swatted a ball to Smith at point. Marchant de Lange then clobbered Liddle over deep mid-wicket for six, but next over Liddle gained another wicket as van der Gugten was caught at long-on. Matt Taylor then ended the innings in the final over as de Lange was caught at deep square-leg.
Chasing a target of 265, Gloucestershire began their chase with opening batsmen George Hankins and Chris Dent. De Lange and Timm van der Gugten shared the new ball with Hankins cover-driving De Lange for four before Dent clipped van der Gugten to the ropes at square-leg. Hankins also cover drove successive balls from de Lange for four before Dent added a third in the over as he again found the ropes at square-leg.
The boundaries kept coming as Hankins took a leaf out of his partner’s book by flicking van der Gugten to square-leg before Dent pulled de Lange for four. The visiting captain survived a chance next over as van der Gugten nearly completed an acrobatic catch off his own bowling and he celebrated his good fortune later in the over by pulling the Dutchman for another four.
Dent brought up the fifty in the seventh over as he flicked Michael Hogan to fine-leg before Hankins pulled van der Gugten to mid-wicket for four followed by a sumptuous off-drive for four to the next delivery. An apparent mix-up in calling for a catch saw Dent survive another chance as – on 28 - he top-edged a pull before next over straight-driving Hogan, whilst Hankins found the ropes again as he swept Salter to deep mid-wicket.
Dent then lofted Salter to long-off before a third, albeit very sharp chance as he drove the ball back to the bowler shortly before the openers reached the 100-mark in the 17th over.. The pair completed their fifties in the next couple of overs – Dent from 51 balls and Hankins from 57 deliveries – before Dent steered de Lange for four through backward point as well as upper-cutting him for six over the head of third man.
After four overs of seam, Wagg switched to his slower style and the change did the trick as Dent drilled a ball to long-on where de Lange completed the catch to the delight of a gleeful Wagg. He continued in spin mode and in tandem with Ingram’s leg-breaks, and with pace off the ball, the scoring rate dropped. A mis-field then gave Hankins four as he late cut Wagg before Howell drilled Ingram over long-on and wide mid-wicket for a pair of sixes.
Howell also late-cut Ingram for four as the frugal Wagg completed his ten overs for just 36 runs shortly before de Lange returned and was steered through mid-wicket by Hankins as the 200 came up in the 37th over. Hankins then on-drove Hogan for four before Howell reverse-swept successive deliveries from Salter for four as Gloucestershire entered the final ten overs requiring 42 to win.
Salter then removed Hankins as the opener, having reached a career-best 85, perished attempting a sweep. Roderick duly joined Howell, who completed a 59-ball fifty before his new partner cover drove both de Lange and salter for four. This reduced the target to 21 from six overs, but a series of one’s and two’s by the third wicket pair, plus a booming cover drive by Howell against van der Gugten, saw Gloucestershire ease to their target with ten balls to spare.