It’s 21 years since Glamorgan staged their last home semi-final in a List A competition (writes Andrew Hignell).
On that occasion back in 2000 the Welsh county defeated Surrey at Sophia Gardens in the semi-final of the Benson and Hedges Cup and in a game which, because of rain, spilled over into the reserve day with Matthew Maynard hitting an imperious hundred before some superb seam bowling by Owen Parkin and Alex Wharf saw Glamorgan to a 32-run victory to clinch a place at the showpiece final at Lord’s.
This game in 2000 has been one of seven occasions when Glamorgan have reached the last four of a List A tournament with the most recent being in 2013 when, under the captaincy of Mark Wallace, the Welsh county defeated Hampshire by 31 runs at the Ageas Bowl to secure a place at Lord’s for the final of the Yorkshire Bank40 against the Notts Outlaws.
Their first home semi-final in a one-day tournament had come in 1977 when Glamoragn, led by Alan Jones, beat Leicestershire in a rain-affected contest in the Gillette Cup, with their five-wicket victory occuring on the third day and seeing them play Middlesex in the final at Lord’s – a game which they lost by the same margin and one which is most memorable for the massive six onto the roof of the pavilion by Mike Llewellyn.
1988 was their next semi-final with a home clash with Derbyshire in the Benson and Hedges Cup at Swansea. It was a game remembered by most as the one when Matthew Maynard’s helmet fell onto his stumps whilst he was batting against West Indian paceman Michael Holding, and just when it seemed that the young tyro was steering his side to victory. Instead, the unfortunate incident changed the complexion of the game as the Peakites won by 14 runs.
The 1990s saw Glamorgan participate in three semi-finals of the Nat West Trophy – the first of which at Hove in 1993 saw Sussex’s seventh wicket pairing of Allan Wells and Neil Lenham add 107 to see their side home by three wickets, as well as an appeal for a run out - in the final year before referrals to TV replays - agonizingly go in Sussex’s favour.
The 1995 semi-final at Sophia Gardens saw Warwickshire ease to an eight-wicket victory after dismissing the Welsh county for a paltry 86 with both Matthew Maynard and David Hemp run out after under-estimating the fielding prowess of Trevor Penney. The semi-final with Essex at Chelmsford in 1997 was a much closer and tense affair with the game spilling over into the reserve day after bad light ended play at 8.10pm on the first day.
After the loss of an hour`s play, Steve James had anchored the Glamorgan innings with a fine century as the visitors amassed 301-8 in their 60 overs. Essex quickly raced to 157-1 and with Stuart Law in imperious form, it looked as if the home side would romp to a comfortable victory. But Steve Watkin dismissed Darren Robinson and Nasser Hussain, before Ronnie Irani and Paul Grayson steadied the ship. With Essex now on 280-4, it looked as if Glamorgan`s dreams of a Lord`s final were over for another year, but Darren Thomas claimed 4/14 from 19 balls as Essex`s batting disintegrated in the fading light.
Waqar Younis was then recalled back into the attack with Essex still needing six runs with two wickets in hand and 42 balls remaining, but after one ball from the Pakistani, the umpires consulted and took the players off the field. Waqar duly completed his over the following morning and conceded a further three runs before Thomas struck again with his first delivery. With last man Peter Such, striding to the wicket, Glamorgan were favourites again, but after fending off a couple of short balls and digging out a yorker, Such struck a full toss through the covers to seal a one-wicket victory for his team.
Essex could be Glamorgan’s opponents again in 2021, albeit this time at Sophia Gardens, if they defeat Yorkshire in the play-off match at Chelmsford on Saturday with the winners meeting the Welsh county at their headquarters in a contest which has been re-scheduled to take place at Cardiff on Monday starting at 1100.