A high-class half-century by Man-of-the-Match Hashim Amla, plus a feisty 40 from 22 balls by Kevin O'Brien saw Surrey defeat Glamorgan by 17 runs at the SWALEC Stadium in their contest in the NatWest T20 Blast.
The start of the game was delayed by fifteen minutes later than scheduled because the visitors were stuck in heavy traffic on the M4. The Welsh county made one change to their line-up which thrilling tied with the Kent Spitfires last Friday evening at their Cardiff headquarters with Stewart Walters replacing Murray Goodwin, and it was Andrew Salter who opened the bowling against the in-from Jason Roy and Hashim Amla. Wagg opened at the Cathedral Road End and saw his first tow deliveries despatched through extra cover by Amla. The first was also a no-ball, and to Hogan's first delivery next over, Amla edged just short of slip before Roy drilled the Australian straight for four.
Amla kept the boundaries coming as he cut Sammy's first ball for four, before Wagg returned and bowled a more frugal second over with the only boundary coming when amla lofted the final delivery over mid-off. Roy then swatted Hogan to the ropes at mid-wicket but two balls later he drove a ball straight back to the bowler and departed for 15 - his lowest total so far in the competition this season.
His departure saw the arrival of Kevin Pietersen and after the former England batsman had scored a single, left-armer Dean Cokser came on and with his second delivery had the Surrey batsman caught behind by Mark Wallace as he attempted a cut. With the total on 50/2, Gary Wilson joined Amla and he drilled Cosker to long-on for four. But some smart ground fielding and canny bowling saw the boundaries briefly dry up until Wilson reverse-swept Salter for successive fours. Amla then drilled a free hit after Sammy had overstepped for four over extra cover before being dropped at cover.
But with the total on 85, Cosker struck again as Wilson lofted him into Salter's hands at long-off. Kevin O'Brien joined Amla and lofted Cosker over extra cover for six but it was a rare boundary as the home attack kept the visitor's quiet as they reached the 100 mark in the 14
th over. Wagg then returned and had Amla caught at short fine-leg for 55 by Jacques Rudolph albeit at the third attempt.
O'Brien nearly swatted Hogan to Wright at deep extra cover before clipping him for four to mid-wicket. After two more no-balls by Sammy he bowled Azhar Mahmood, before another pair of lofted drives by O'Brien against Wagg in the penultimate over took the total past the 150-mark. He added another lusty swipe over extra cover for six in Hogan's last over before hitting the last ball to mid-wicket for three with some nifty footwork by Sammy preventing it being a four as Surrey ended on 165/5.
Jade Dernbach then struck with his second delivery as Rudolph was caught behind at the second attempt. Wallace then drilled his first ball through the covers before Allenby deftly guided the last through the slips for four, followed by a savage pull for three in Azhar's opening over. He then biffed Dernbach through extra cover for four before Wallace played a ramp shot against Azhar with the ball sailing over long-leg for six.
The bowler got revenge next over as he pouched a leading edge from Wallace as Tom Curran entered the attack and removed the Glamorgan keeper with his second ball. This brought Stewart Walters to the crease and he began by pulling Peterson for three as Glamorgan ended the powerplays on 44/2. Allenby then harpooned Gareth Batty's first ball for six over mid-wicket before repeating the shot in Curran's next over as the ball disappeared into the Pavilion Enclosure. He then edged Curran for four en route to a 38-ball fifty as Glamorgan reached 80/2 at the halfway stage.
Walters brought up the fifty stand by pulling a long hop from Peterson for four but with the total on 90 Batty lured Allenby down the wicket and had him stumped. Chris Cooke made his way to the middle and after a flurry of singles the equation became
66 from 6 overs. But Curran then returned and had Cooke caught at long-on before to the last ball of the over bowling Ben Wright as Sammy joined Walters as the task became 55 from 5 overs.
Walters then pulled Peterson again for four, but Sammy departed l.b.w. first ball as Wagg made his way to the middle with 26 balls remaining and the Welsh county still needing 50. Dernbach and Azhar then returned to complete their spells and after a flurry of one's and two's, the latter bowled Wagg to leave Glamorgan needing 34 off 14 balls as Salter joined Walters. Glamorgan's hopes then took a further dent as Walters flicked Dernbach to Pietersen at short fine-leg. Salter and Cosker tried their best but the task was too steep and although Salter blasted the last ball for four, Surrey won by 17 runs.