Glamorgan lost to Hampshire by 25 runs in their NatWest T20 Blast match at The Ageas Bowl with Liam Dawson having a good evening making an unbeaten 74 and taking 4/23.
An injury to Dean Cosker meant that Glamorgan made one change to their side with off-spinner Andrew Salter replacing the long-serving left-arm spinner. Graham Wagg delivered the first ball and was clipped to fine-leg for four by Tom Alsop, whilst Adam Wheater did the same to Shaun Tait, before lofting him over long-on for four. Next ball, Wagg ended Alsop’s innings as he edged to slip.
Two balls later 18/1 became 18/s as Sean Ervine got a leading edge to a ball from Wagg and spooned a catch to Aneurin Donald at cover. Wagg then had a hand in the next dismissal as next over Michael Hogan induced a miscued drive by Wheater straight to the all-rounder at mid-on.
24/3 saw Shahid Afridi join Liam Dawson who steered Timm van der Gugten for four through point, before the Pakistani clipped both Hogan and the Dutchman to the mid-wicket ropes for further boundaries. He then pulled and nurdled van der Gugten for further fours before Colin Ingram’s leg-spin was introduced in the ninth over in tandem with the seam of Craig Meschede.
Both bowlers conceded a series of singles so in a bid to up the tempo Afridi attempted to loft Meschede over long-off but Wagg was in the action again as he took a fine catch running in from the boundary as Hampshire slipped tp 70/4. Joe Weatherley ended the boundary drought by lofting Ingram over extra cover before scampering a trio of two’s. Dawson also on-drove Meschede for six in the all-rounder’s final over.
Dawson added another brace of two’s as he completed a 42-ball fifty with a cut for four against Wagg before Joe Waetherley harpooned Wagg for six over mid-wicket, followed in the left-armer’s next over by a slashed four to the point boundary, plus a pair of scythes to long-on for four and six, but in attempting to repeat the blows he mowed Wagg into Donald’s hands.
148/5 became 150/6 as Hogan bowled Lewis McManus, before Dwson swatted Hogan for two fours and six in the final over as Hampshire ended on 167/6. Mark Wallace and David Lloyd began the chase against the spin of Brad Taylor as well as the seam of Gavin Griffiths who is on loan from Lancashire. Lloyd responded by firmly on-driving the seamer before Mark Wallace deftly cut Brad Wheal for four. He then drilled Gareth Andrew through mid-off for successive fours, followed by a pull to backward square-leg.
Lloyd also pulled Wheal for four as Glamorgan ended the powerplays on 49/0, before Afridi and Dawson operated in tandem with their spin as the game changed in complexion. The latter struck with his first and fifth deliveries as he firstly bowled Lloyd before seeing Ingram attempt a reverse-sweep and top-edged the ball into the wicket-keeper’s gloves. 57/2 then became 58/3 as Afridi bowled Donald, before next over becoming 61/4 as Rudolph chipped a ball back to Taylor.
Wagg joined Wallace who off-drove Taylor for four, before Wagg flicked Afridi to the ropes at fine-leg. But with the total on 78 Wallace drove Taylor into the hands of mid-wicket as Meschede joined Wagg. The latter responded by whacking Afridi through extra-cover as the equation became 79 from 36 balls.
Meschede began by cutting Andrew for four through point before on-driving him for six but he then lofted Dawson to long-on where Weatherley completed the catch. Salter joined Wagg with 60 needed from 24 balls, but in Dawson’s final over Wagg skied an attempted drive and Andrew completed the catch at wide long-off. Van der Gugten clubbed a pair of fours whilst Salter played a cheeky ramp stroke for four, but the task proved too great as the Welsh county succumbed to their third defeat of the summer and remain in second place in the South Group, still with a game in hand over leaders Gloucestershire.