Glamorgan and Somerset’s rivalry goes one step further this season with the launch of the ‘The Big Match’ to open our Vitality Blast campaign.
To open the Vitality Blast campaign on Thursday July 18th will be a heavyweight clash at Sophia Gardens with the visitors from Taunton looking to avoid repeats of the 2016 game that saw Glamorgan qualify for the quarter-finals of the competition.
The geography of the sides is an obvious reason for the rivalry, but throughout the years a number of key battles have been fought between the two sides.
1997
Glamorgan’s most recent County Championship title came at the home of Somerset. Thousands of Welsh fans travelled to Taunton in September 1997 to initially see Waqar Younis take four wickets as Somerset were bundled out for 252, before witnessing Matt Maynard blitz a stunning 142 and Hugh Morris dominate for 165.
Somerset were dismissed for 285 thanks to a Darren Thomas five-for before Steve James clipped the winning runs for four and was joined on-field by the ecstatic Welsh contingent. (See the Sky Sports News segment here)
2004
In 2004 Twenty20 cricket was still new and unknown as one Glamorgan player made history. Ian Thomas struck the first televised Twenty20 century in the world, as his effort in front of the Sky Sports cameras included the smashing of a pavilion window. Taking advantage of the ground dimensions at Taunton, he pummelled 11 fours and 7 sixes in his knock of 116 not out from just 57 deliveries.
2016
2016 proved to be Mark Wallace’s final season as a Glamorgan player, and his final game against Somerset may just have been his most satisfying. Needing to win in Cardiff to stay in the race for a quarter-final berth, Glamorgan fielded well and ‘Wally’ pulled off a classic stumping for the TV audience as helped remove the dangerous Gregory, now Somerset’s skipper in the shortest format of the game.
Glamorgan, needing 153 to win, got off to a flyer was ‘Wally’ reached 20 from just 12 deliveries before being caught attempting to hit a fourth consecutive boundary. Colin Ingram scored another half-century as Glamorgan made sure they reached the knockout stages of the tournament. (See the ECB highlights here)
2017
Marchant de Lange is an intimating sight as he steams in to bowl, and when the pressure is on there are not many bowlers you’d rather stand at the other end for. Somerset’s home match at Taunton in 2017 was yet another all-important encounter between the two sides, with Glamorgan posting 183/6 and Somerset reaching 162/4 with three overs left.
Having only conceded two runs from the 18th over, along with taking a wicket and causing a run out, de Lange was tasked with defending eight from the final six balls. Facing de Lange was T20 powerhouse Peter Trego. First ball, dot. Second ball, one run. Roelof van der Merwe stole a leg bye from the third ball, before de Lange reached deep into his bag of tricks to bowl consecutive dot balls at Trego.
Needing to hit a six to win the game or somehow scoring five to tie, the last delivery was smeared through cover for four but de Lange’s cool head gave Glamorgan another thrilling victory over their local rivals.
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