A brilliant unbeaten 95 by Colin Ingram, plus fifties by David Lloyd and Will Bragg saw Glamorgan continue their winning run in white ball cricket as they defeated the Kent Spitfires by three wickets at Canterbury in the Royal London One-Day Cup, and all after centuries by Joe Denly and Sam Billings – the latter from just 53 balls – for the home side.
Timm van der Gugten returned to the line-up in place of Andrew Salter, and the Dutchman shared new ball duties with Graham Wagg. Daniel Bell-Drummond struck the first boundary in van der Gugten’s opening over as he punched the ball through extra cover to the short boundary adjacent to the building site before adding another cover drive in his second over
Wagg began with a couple of maidens before being drilled through mid-off by Tom Latham as the cloud cover built-up and the floodlights were turned on. A leading edge from Latham against Wagg just avoided the outstretched hands of Aneurin Doanld at point, but shortly afterwards Latham flicked the left-armer into the hands of Michael Hogan at fine-leg.
30/1 saw Joe Denly join Bell-Drummond and he began by square-driving Hogan for four, before his partner did the same to Wagg, followed by a pull through mid-wicket to the boundary boards. Denly also struck Hogan to the ropes at mid-wicket to bring up the fifty in the tenth over, before surviving a difficult chance at backward point as Dean Cosker nearly plucked the ball out of the air as Denly swatted Craig Meschede.
However, Bell-Drummond departed in the fourteenth over with the total on 62 as he edged Hogan into Chris Cooke’s gloves. Sam Northeast began quietly as Meschede and Hogan shared a frugal spell before Dean Cosker’s left-arm spin entered the attack. Denly clipped Meschede to fine-leg – the first boundary the all-rounder had conceded in his fifth over and the first for ten over by Kent.
Drizzle started to fall as Northeast – in a bid to up the tempo – drilled Cosker to long-on before the 100 came up in the 24th over. Denly also lofted Cosker for six to long-off but another expansive shot by Northeast led to his downfall as he swatted van der Gugten to Aneurin Donald on the mid-wicket boundary.
With the total on 120/3 Sam Billings joined Denly who completed a 64-ball fifty by fiercely cutting van der Gugten before running Hogan down to third man for four, But the drizzle became heavier and the players left the field after 29.1 overs with Kent on 141/3.
The precipitation continued for over an hour before easing and allowing a re-start at 2.30pm as the contest was reduced to 42 overs and after Hogan had completed his over, Colin Ingram’s leg-breaks were introduced with Denly lofting him for four to long-on, before Billings swept Wagg for four to backward square-leg, followed byb a ramp shot to fine-leg against a slower ball from Meschede.
On 28 Billings miscued a drive against Meschede but Hogan at mid-off dropped the skier and the Kent batsman celebrated his stroke of luck by biffing Wagg to long-off for four as well as driving Cosker inside-out over extra-cover for four. Denly greeted the return of van der Gugten by square-cutting him for four, before harpooning him for six into the building site beyond the md-wicket boundary.
Billings then completed his fifty from 36 balls by lofting Cosker straight for six, followed by a pair of ramp strokes to fine-leg against Yorkers from Wagg. Denly then reached his hundred by on-driving his 97th delivery for a single, before Billings off-drove Hogan for six, followed by a flick to fine-leg for four and a massive pull to mid-wicket for six.
Billings then pummelled a no-ball from Wagg for four to mid-wicket before clubbing the free-hit in the same direction for six, before swatting a full toss from Hogan over mid-wicket for six – his fifth six and 53rd delivery – before dispatching the final ball of the innings through the covers for four as Kent ended on 290/3 having added 149 in the last 12.5 overs.
After the Duckworth-Lewis calculations had been completed Glamorgan’s target became 293 from 42 overs as Jacques Rudolph and David Lloyd began Glamorgan’s run-chase. Rudolph struck the first boundary as he on-drove Darren Stevens for four
Before lofting him over mid-wicket for six. Lloyd then cut Coles for four followed by a firm on-drive and a savage pull to the boards at square-leg.
Lloyd greeted David Griffiths into the attack by cutting him for four before doing the same to Mitch Claydon, followed by another firm pull as Glamorgan accelerated ahead of the D/L par score. But the introduction of James Tredwell’s off-spin saw things change as Rudolph swept the spinner into the hands of deep square-leg, and the former England twirler nearly claimed a second scalp as Billings missed a stumping chance as Bragg went down the wicket.
The southpaw went down the wicket again in Tredwell’s second over and deposited the ball over the boards at long-on before cover-driving Griffiths for four. Lloyd then swatted Griffiths to backward square-leg for four as he completed a 48-ball fifty, besides bringing up the hundred. Bragg then reverse-swept Tredwell for four, whilst Lloyd swatted Coles for four.
Bragg then steered a no-ball from Coles into the hands of backward point before twice sweeping Tredwell for four as the Welsh county went back ahead of the par score. Bragg then completed a 46 ball fifty by straight driving Coles. But with the total on 146, Lloyd departed after pulling a ball from Coles to deep square-leg where Latham took a good catch diving forward.
Two balls later, Bragg also departed as he reverse-swept Tredwell to square-leg, and with 18 overs remaining, Glamorgan’s target was 146 as Ingram and Donald joined forces hoping to repeat their heroics from Friday night at Bristol.. Ingram nearly fell to a wonder catch at cover by Northeast as the home captain dived in the air and got a hand to a firm drive.
Ingram then pulled Claydon for six before reverse-sweeping Tredwell for another maximum, but with the total on 183, Donald lofted Tredwell into the hands of long-on as Cooke made his way to the middle with 110 still needed from 13 overs. Ingram responded by reverse-pulling Claydon over the short leg-side boundary whilst Cooke late cut Stevens for four. The pair also garnered a series of singles to get back level with the par score before Ingram completed his fifty from 30 balls with another scampered run to mid-on, followed by a coruscating on-drove for four, plus a lofted off-drive for six, both against Griffiths. As Glamorgan entered the final powerplay needing 65 from 48 balls.
Cooke brought up the fifty stand by pulling Coles for six over square-leg, but to the final delivery of the over, he was clean bowled as Glamorgan lost their fifth wicket on 238. After Wagg made his way to the middle, Ingram responded by pulling Griffiths for six over mid-wicket.
Wagg inside-edged Claydon for four before furiously scampering a series of one’s and two’s , but with 36 needed from 30 balls, Wagg was run out as Coles underarmed the ball at the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Meschede becoming Ingram’s new partner and scythed Claydon to third man for four as the task became 26 from 18 balls, but in the next over he was run out attempting a second run.
Van der Gugten joined Ingram who smeared Griffiths over point for four before pulling a full toss for six over mid-wicket to reduce the task to 13 from a dozen balls. He then deftly late-cut Claydon for four before upper-cutting him to third man, and after a single by Ingram, van der Gugten leg-glanced Claydon for four as Glamorgan maintained their unbeaten record and position on top of the table with seven balls remaining.