Despite 85 from Colin Ingram, a record-breaking 159 from 125 balls by James Hildreth propelled Somerset to an 83-run victory over Glamorgan in their match in the Royal London One-Day Cup at Taunton.
With the country gripped by royal wedding fever, there have been some poignant images in the media of the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer to the Prince of Wales at St. Paul’s Cathedral on 29th July 1981. On that day 37 years ago, Glamorgan were in action in a County Championship match at Taunton with the Welsh county’s very own batting prince, the mercurial Javed Miandad, scoring an unbeaten 200.
Glamorgan return to the Taunton ground for today’s game, 24 hours after the nuptials of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, with Colin Ingram’s team eager to return to winning ways after their eight-wicket defeat by Gloucestershire at Sophia Gardens on Friday and, perhaps, to reproduce the fireworks their batsmen produced to accompany the Royal Wedding of 1981, but as it turned out, it was the pyrotechnics of James Hildreth that took centre-stage after Glamorgan opted to bowl first.
Lukas Carey, who replaced Timm van der Gugten, shared the new ball duties with Marchant de Lange as Johann Myburgh swatted a short ball from Carey over the head of cover for the day’s first boundary whilst his partner Steve Davies square drove de Lange for three besides cover driving Carey.
Next over, Davies upper-cut the South African for six over third man before flicking the next ball to the ropes at mid-wicket and then despatching the following delivery through the covers for four more. Myburgh then clipped de Lange to backward square-leg for another boundary although he was lucky to inside-edge the next delivery to the ropes at fine-leg. Davies then square-drove de Lange for four but with the total on 46, Carey removed Myburgh who edged a delivery into Chris Cooke’s gloves.
Peter Trego duly joined Davies and ended a sequence of thirteen dot balls from Carey by flicking him to square-leg for a single. But Carey’s frugality was rewarded as Davies then miscued the next delivery to short mid-wicket where David Lloyd completed the catch. James Hildreth announced his arrival by cover driving Hogan for four before clipping him to the ropes at mid-wicket.
After a spell of 2/8 in four overs, Carey was replaced by de Lange at the River End and was pulled for a pair of fours by Trego. Hildreth then nurdled Lloyd for four before Trego biffed the all-rounder through extra cover to see Somerset into three figures. Trego also twice clipped Lloyd to fine-leg before pulling Wagg to the fence at mid-wicket en route to a 54-ball fifty. Hildreth then lofted Wagg over mid-wicket for six before Trego scythed Salter for four over the head of point.
But next over, and with the total on 147, the jubilant Wagg removed Trego who chipped a ball into the hands of Lloyd at mid-wicket. Tom Banton began with a series of singles before reverse-sweeping Salter for four, whilst Hildreth reached his fifty after cover-driving Wagg for four and then flicking Salter for a single to square-leg – his 60th delivery – as well as on-driving Ingram for four. But the white ball captain ended Tom Banton’s stay at the crease as he reverse-swept straight to Salter at short fine-leg.
174/4 saw Tom Abell join Hildreth and he began with a cover drive for four against Salter, whilst Hildreth lofted Ingram over long-on for six, before clipping the next to deep mid-wicket where Jack Murphy, in attempting the catch, parried the ball over the ropes for a second six. Abell then square-cut and pulled Salter for successive fours to bring up the 200 in the 34th over.
Hogan and Carey then returned to the fray with the latter being steered through point by Abell as well as being pulled for four to fine-leg by Hildreth. The latter then drilled Hogan through mid-off for four before Abell off-drove Carey for four, followed by a coruscating square drive through point and another drive through the fielder’s hands on the extra-cover boundary.
Hildreth then swatted Carey for four to third man as Somerset went past 250 in the 40th over before completing his hundred from as many balls by dabbing Ingram through point for a single. But this followed the departure of Abell who had edged Wagg into Cooke’s gloves with Roelof van der Merwe joining the centurion.
The Dutchman harpooned a full toss from Wagg over long-off for six before Hildreth drilled the bowler to the same area for four as well as hoisting Ingram for a pair of massive sixes over mid-wicket. He then brought up the 300 by pulling a full toss from Wagg for another maximum before lofting de Lange to long-off for four followed by sixes over square-leg and off a thick outside edge to third man
He then flicked Hogan to square-leg to complete a 120-ball century and register the highest for Somerset in List A cricket against Glamorgan beating Graham Rose’s 148 at Neath in 1990. Van der Merwe then miscued a scoop with Cooke pouching the skier before Hildreth swatted de Lange against to third man. But next ball the paceman ended his innings on 159 as he re-arranged his stumps.
Craig Overton maintained the flurry of boundaries by lofting Hogan for six before Tim Groenewald brought up the 350 with a straight drive for four against Hogan. The final over saw Overton clip de Lange over wide long-on for six, before a pair of fours to deep square-leg and long-on as Somerset ended on 372/7 their best in List A games against the Welsh county beating their 368/4 at Taunton in 2010.
With a required rate of 7.5, Nick Selman and Jack Murphy began Glamorgan’s reply as Josh Davey and Craig Overton shared the bowling duties. Murphy struck the first boundary as he steered Overton to third man for four, whilst Selman followed suit next over with an ondr0ive against Davey. Murphy also under-edged a pull against Overton for four before Selman cover-drove Davey for four, but next delivery he departed l.b.w. to the Scot as Glamorgan lost their first wicket on 26.
His departure saw Shaun Marsh join Murphy and he began with a booming off-drive for four against Davey followed by a square-drive through point off Overton. But two overs later, the latter ran out Murphy in his follow through at the strikers end. Ingram duly made his way to the middle with much resting from a Glamorgan point of view on the pair. Ingram began with a furious square-drive for four against Tim Groenewald before Marsh drilled the bowler for a pair of firmly-struck fours.
Ingram then drilled Davey for a straight six into the Sir Ian Botham Stand before square-cutting him behind point. Marsh kept the boundary tally going by twice off-driving Groenewald whilst Ingram brought up the 50-stand with a cheeky flick to fine-leg before lofting Davey over mid-wicket for six to bring up the hundred. But in the next over Marsh was dismissed as he drove Groenewald in the air towards deep mid-off where Max Waller took a good low catch.
Lloyd joined Ingram and the pair began with a flurry of singles before the new batsman twice clipped Trego to the ropes at square-leg before cutting van der Merwe for yet another boundary. Ingram then reverse-swept van der Merwe for four as he completed a 41 ball fifty with Lloyd next over drilling Trego to wide long-on for four before cover-driving van der Merwe.
But the spinner gained revenge next over as he bowled Lloyd for 35 with Cooke joining his captain with the total on 154/4. With the asking rate having reached ten, Max Waller joined the attack and Ingram square drove and reverse-swept the leg-spinner for a pair of fours, prior to pulling Overton to the ropes. Cooke did the same to Overton in his next over when he dropped short before Ingram twice flat-batted him through extra-cover.
Cooke brought up the 200 by pulling Waller for six but in the next over Groenewald returned and saw Ingram hole out at long-off as Overton gleefully pouched the ball. De Lange replaced his captain and began by striking his first ball over long-on for six and then next over plonking van der Merwe into one of the fourth floor apartments beyond deep mid-wicket. De Lange then flat-batted Groenewald through extra-cover but next over Trego returned and had Cooke caught at Long-off.
233/6 saw Wagg join de Lange and after some furious singles he ramped Trego to the ropes at fine-leg before lofting successive deliveries from him over wide long-on for six, followed by a pull for four. But his innings ended next delivery as he also holed out at long-off with Salter joining de Lange with 103 still needed.
The South African then under-edged a sweep for four against van der Merwe before Salter did the same to a straight drive, but the latter also holed out to Waller at long-off when Overton returned as the boundaries dried up. In an attempt to scamper a single Carey was run out by Abell. Hogan then appeared with Wagg as his runner, but after a single, De Lange lofted van der Merwe to deep extra cover where substitute fielder Jamie Overton completed the catch giving Somerset victory by 83 runs.