The players are smiling in the changing room - Cooke

All-rounder Joe Cooke took five for 61 and hit an unbeaten 66 as Glamorgan won a nail-biting encounter against Essex Eagles by five wickets at Sophia Gardens.

Cooke put on an unbeaten 111-run partnership with Tom Cullen to seal the victory for the Welsh county and a place in the Royal London Cup final at Trent Bridge on Thursday. 

“It’s a pretty cool and special feeling, it’s still sinking in. To get the winning runs was really special," said Cooke.

"Me and Tom Cullen knew it was always going to be five or six runs an over. It got up to seven at one stage, but because Hamish Rutherford scored so quickly, we knew we could keep it ticking over.

"Me and Tom said we wanted to get it done before the last over. It was a good pitch and hard to bowl. Some of the good balls were going for four. My first spell with the ball wasn’t great and Alastair Cook got a hold of me so to come back with wickets in my second spell was pleasing.

"I’m enjoying a different role in this team and I’m always in the game both batting and bowling. A final is going to be a great occasion and it’s going to be very exciting. The players are smiling in the changing room”