An elegant 111 from Jacques Rudolph plus half-centuries by Chris Cooke (60) and Murray Goodwin (62), supported by some energetic fielding and accurate bowling, with Michael Hogan taking 3/19, saw Glamorgan to an emphatic 95-run victory under the Duckworth-Lewis Method against Somerset in their rain-affected Royal London One-Day Cup match at Taunton.
The Welsh county made one change to their side which lost against Durham at Cardiff last Friday with Andrew Salter replacing David Lloyd, and it was Jacques Rudolph and Jim Allenby who opened the batting when the game got under way on time under blue skies and plenty of sunshine, and on a green-tinged surface. Somerset's new ball pairing of Alfonso Thomas and Lewis Gregory extracted some lateral movement with the new ball, with the latter finding the edge of Allenby's bat in the second over as Peter Trego at first slip completing the regulation catch chest-high.
Rudolph struck the day's opening boundary as he drilled Thomas through extra cover before Will Bragg deftly straight drove and pulled the South African for further fours. The southpaw then biffed Gregory through the covers off the back foot before Rudolph top-edged Tim Groenewald's opening delivery for four over the slip cordon, before square-driving him to the point boundary as the flurry of fours continued in the powerplays.
Rudolph also drove Gregory through mid-off for four as Glamorgan ended the powerplays on 44/1. But four runs later, Peter Trego entered the attack and ended Bragg's innings as he edged to Marcus Trescothick at slip. Jack Leach's spin was then employed at the Old Pavilion End in tandem with Trego's seam at the River End, and after quiet reconnaissance, Goodwin drove Trego for four through the covers.
Rudolph then edged a couple of sweeps against Leach, much to the bowler's angst, before glancing him to fine-leg to complete a 64-ball fifty. He celebrated by sweeping the spinner to fine-leg to register his seventh four, followed next over by a reverse-sweep for his eighth boundary. Goodwin also swept the young spinner to the ropes at mid-wicket before lofting Trego straight for four and six in successive balls. The veteran followed this with a handsome on-drove for four when Thomas returned to the fray at the Old Pavilion End.
Goodwin then despatched Trego over extra cover for four to bring up the century stand before reaching his fifty from 58 balls as he despatched Johan Myburgh to mid-wicket for his sixth four. An upper-cut to third man against Gregory was followed next ball by a lofted off-drive, but the bowler gained immediate revenge as Goodwin lofted the next delivery high towards long-on where Thomas ran in to an orthodox mid-on to complete the catch.
Chris Cooke announced his arrival by cover-driving Myburgh and straight-driving Groenewald before Glamorgan took the batting powerplay on 182/3 in the 36
th over. Cooke clipped Thomas to fine-leg and extra cover for further boundaries before swatting him to long-leg to bring up the 200 in the 38
th over. He then pulled a long-hop from Thomas to the boards at mid-wicket as a bank of heavy clouds built up over the Quantocks.
Rudolph also swatted Thomas to mid-wicket as Glamorgan ended their powerplay on 221/3. Cooke reverse-swept Leach for four but after Rudolph edged Groenewald to third man for four the rains descended and forced the players off with Rudolph unbeaten on 99. It was only a passing shower and just three overs were lost as play resumed with Rudolph immediately reaching his century from 121 balls. He celebrated by pulling Thomas to the boards at mid-wicket before swatting Groenewald for four, before holing out to Nick Compton on the boundary's edge next ball.
Graham Wagg duly joined Cooke who completed his fifty - from 37 balls - by pulling Thomas for four, but the new man then holed out at long-on as he attempted to blast Gregory into the town centre. Cooke then drilled the seamer to long-on for a coruscating four before drilling the next delivery into mid-off's hands. Andrew Salter then edged Gregory to third man before Wallace swatted Thomas for four as Glamorgan ended on 289/6 after 47 overs with the home side, under D/L, needing 303 to win.
Trescothick and Compton opened the batting as Michael Hogan and Wagg shared the new balls. Trescothick launched the chase with a regal cover drive in Wagg's first over, before Wagg was struck to the mid-wicket ropes by Compton, followed by a rasping drive through the covers by Trescothick. This was followed by consecutive fours through the offside by the veteran opener against the left-armer as Somerset reached 40 after six overs.
But Hogan then found the inside-edge of Compton's bat with Wallace safely pouching the ball as the in-form Trego made his way to the middle. He began by drilling James Harris through the covers for four, but with the total on 47, Hogan struck again as he bowled Trescothick. Trego responded by driving Harris through extra cover but with the total on 69, he lost another partner as the accurate Allenby was rewarded as Colin Ingram miscued a pull with Wagg at mid-wicket holding onto the skier.
The pair were in the action three overs later as Wagg returned to the attack and induced another miscued pull which lobbed straight into Allenby's hands at mid-wicket. 84/4 saw Dean Cosker's spin introduced at the River End and the left-armer was dabbed for four by Trego. Together with Alex Barrow, Trego took the total past the 100-mark but on 108 their innings stuttered yet again as the all-rounder chopped Wagg onto his stumps.
Gregory came in and immediately put bat to ball as he drilled Cosker to long-on, but the crafty spinner trapped the all-rounder l.b.w. as he attempted a reverse-sweep. 119/6 saw Myburgh join Barrow who lofted Cosker to long-on, before the pair scampered a series of frantic singles to keep up the ever-rising asking rate. But Barrow then lofted Cosker to long-off where Gareth Rees, who was fielding as substitute for Goodwin took a good sprawling catch with Somerset on 148/7.
Myburgh then biffed Allenby for successive fours, before Groenewald lapped Cosker to the mid-wicket ropes as Somerset took their batting powerplay on 165/7 but after a wide, Myburgh harpooned Harris high in the air to deep mid-wicket where Wagg took a well-judged catch. With Thomas as his new partner, Groenewald used the long handle against Cosker as he lofted him for six to over mid-wicket. Thomas also flicked Harris to deep square-leg for four before slashing the bowler over extra-cover, but the bowler gained revenge as Thomas miscued a pull into Wagg's grateful hands at mid-wicket.
Groenewald responded by pulling Allenby for six, followed by a lofted drive for four. The bowler also spilled a sharp return chance but Hogan returned next over and ended the contest as he bowled Leach to give Glamorgan a well-deserved and emphatic victory under by 95 runs (D/L Method)