20 May 2015 | Cricket
Colin Ingram, who struck 91 from 47 balls in Glamorgan's win against Surrey in their opening game last Friday, believes they can "beat anyone, any day" after their performance at the Kia Oval.
The aggressive left hander from South Africa has been impressed by the passion within the squad, and just listening to his team mates, Ingram believes the squad are a confident group and determined to succeed.
Ingram will be making his T20 Blast debut at the SWALEC Stadium and is looking forward to the support the home crowd will generate on Friday night. The captain of the Warriors team in South Africa has an uncomplicated approach to batting.
If you hit the first bad ball for four, then you are on your way, said Ingram.
After beating a strong Surrey team, they will also face a determined Essex side who will want to make amends for losing both their opening games to Hampshire and Surrey last weekend. They will be strengthened by the return of Ravi Bopara from the IPL, while New Zealand all rounder Jesse Ryder hopes to fit after missing the four day game at Cardiff.
Nevertheless Ingram is looking forward massively to the match, and hopes Wayne Parnell, his club teammate at the Warriors will be fit enough to play.
Parnell, Glamorgan's second overseas signing for the competition, missed the opening game with a groin injury but Ingram believes he can do some damage and is not only a left arm seamer.
He came to our club as a16 year old and I have seen him develop over the years, said Ingram.
He has scored two hundreds opening the innings in one day games, and can certainly do some damage- he is rather underrated as a batsman.
If selected, Glamorgan are likely to make just the one change from the team that defeated Surrey, with Parnell replacing the young all rounder David Lloyd. They will be able to include two left arm seamers in Parnell and Graham Wagg, an useful commodity in twenty over cricket, along with Michael Hogan, who took twenty one wickets in the competition last season and left arm spinner Dean Cosker whose figures of 4-30 last Friday played a big part in Glamorgan's success last Friday night.