Glamorgan\'s in-form batting duo David Lloyd and Colin Ingram have been speaking about the importance of maintaining form as the NatWest T20 Blast campaign reaches the business end.
Glamorgan travel to The Ageas Bowl to take on Hampshire tonight, where they can virtually seal a place in the quarter-finals with victory, following an astonishing run of seven wins and just two defeat from their opening 10 matches.
Ingram and Lloyd have been the side's most prolific run-scorers in the Blast The South African has scored 316 runs in nine matches, while Lloyd is just 10 runs behind on 306. Ingram has also hit the most sixes of any batsman in the tournament so far, with 19 maximums to sit alongisde 26 fours.
North Walian Lloyd has hit match-winning innings of 97 not out (versus Kent Spitfires) and 83 (against Sussex Sharks) to inspire Glamorgan to landslide wins.
The 24-year-old stressed the importance of staying focussed and sealing a home quarter-final, to gain the advantage of a partisan Welsh crowd at The SSE SWALEC.
He said: "We’ve got a big game at Hampshire tonight. If we get a good result there, hopefully we can get a quarter-final place booked and the next thing is to get a home quarter final, which would mean a packed out crowd here in Cardiff, and be very good for us."
On his own form, Lloyd was grateful for the chance to kickstart Glamorgan's innings at the top of the order – a move which has paid dividends for the Welsh county so far this season. Lloyd has struck his 306 runs at a strike rate of 134.8, with an average of 38.25.
He added: "I’m feeling good. I’ve been given the chance to open the batting this year and so far it’s paid off. Hopefully I can keep it going towards the nervy end of the group, but as long as i can contribute to the team, that’s the main thing.
"Getting a few runs in four day cricket gives you confidence, I've been given me the trust to open the batting in T20 and hopefully I can carry on scoring runs."
Ingram, who has been coming in at Number Three and playing aggressively – with considerable success since returning to the side following an early season knee injury – hailed a team effort in boosting Glamorgan's chances of a place in the knockout stages.
There have been overwhelming wins over Surrey (twice), Sussex Sharks, Hampshire, Kent Spitfires and Middlesex so far in this T20 campaign.
Ingram said: "The guys have been playing some fantastic cricket. It’s been great to see different guys contributing from match to match, which has been a real strength of ours this season.
"But having said that our best cricket needs to come at the back-end of the competition. It’s a thoroughly exciting time and the dressing room is in a good space.
"We’ve all the makings of a really well-balanced side at the moment, we’re playing with good confidence and we’re playing with good spirit."
Glamorgan continue their NatWest T20 Blast campaign against Hampshire in Southampton, from 7pm tonight and can return to the top of the South Group by taking victory.