A superb final over by Graham Wagg, plus 60 from Jacques Rudolph saw Glamorgan to a thrilling four run victory against Middlesex in the NatWest T20 Blast at the SSE SWALEC.
It's a weekend of music in the Welsh capital with the Manic Street Preachers playing in Cardiff Castle and One Direction in concert at the Millennium Stadium. But for the area's cricket lovers, the only place to head to for some manic cricketing action tonight was the SSE SWALEC, and for the home supporters there was good news as Jacques Rudolph won the toss and opted to bat first with an unchanged side from the one which lost to Hampshire last week.
There was though a change to the Welsh county's batting order with in-form all-rounder Craig Meschede opening with Rudolph against Kyle Abbott who began with a no-ball before conceding just a trio of singles. There was little on offer either from Steve Finn or Toby Roland-Jones and the first boundary did not come until the fifth over as Meschede late cut Finn after the pair had initially accumulated in one's and two's.
Rudolph then scooped Roland-Jones to fine-leg for a pair of fours from successive balls as Glamorgan reached 41/0 at the end of the powerplay overs. Rudolph then reverse-pulled both James Franklin and leg-spinner Nathan Sowter for four. In fact, the latter was struck for three successive boundaries in an arc from deep backward square-leg to wide mid-wicket, and just to rub salt into his wounds Meschede edged him to third man for another boundary in an over which cost 19 runs.
Meschede then pulled Franklin for four, followed by a similar stroke by Rudolph with the same effect against the Kiwi, but with the total on 82, Meschede was stumped as he appeared to over-balance playing forward to Neil Dexter's first delivery. Colin Ingram then joined Rudolph who completed a 34-ball fifty, but after three singles Ingram miscued an expansive straight drive and Eoin Morgan running across from mid-off caught the skier.
Chris Cooke began with a flat-batted cover drive against Dexter before Rudolph did the same in Franklin's final over, but next over Rudolph miscued a drive against Dexter into mid-on's hands and departed for 60. Cooke added another four to his tally with a glide to third man, but shortly afterwards Ben Wright was bowled by Finn as Wagg became Cooke's new partner. The all-rounder failed to connect though with a few lusty swiped as Abbott returned for the closing overs at the River End.
Wagg though made contact with a fierce fore-arm smash against the Springbok as the ball sped back over the bowler's head for four. Next over, Wagg holed out at cover as Morgan completed another good catch. Wayne Parnell then joined Cooke for the last couple of overs and was dropped by Joe Burns at backward point. Cooke then harpooned Roland-Jones for a pair of massive sixes from successive balls over mid-wicket before nearly holing out to Morgan again at cover in an eventful - and crucial - over which yielded 20 runs and saw the bowler also called for a no-ball above waist height as Glamorgan ended on 169/5.
Michael Hogan began with just a couple of singles in his first over but the boundaries then came as Dawid Malan cover drove successive deliveries from Parnell through the covers for four, followed two balls later by a booming off-drive to the ropes. Compton then swatted Hogan to the ropes at mid-wicket before drilling two more balls to long-on for further fours. But their little spree ended as Parnell bowled Compton.
With the total on 29/1, Joe Burns joined Malan, with the latter adding to his boundary tally as he square-drove and cover drove Parnell. Burns then lofted Meschede straight for six before Burns nearly slashed Parnell into the hands of Dean Cosker at backward point. He celebrated his good fortune by pulling and cover-driving Parnell for further fours. Burns then lofted Andrew Salter's first two balls back over his head for straight sixes over the River Stand but the spinner responded by bowling the Australian with the last ball of the over.
74/2 saw Morgan join Malan who then cover drove Salter for four, whilst the former began by swatting Wagg to mid-wicket for four. He then survived a sharp caught and bowled chance to Salter, before Malan completed a 36-ball fifty. The pair then added a series of singles before Cosker bowled Morgan as the visiting captain looked to up the tempo. The new batsman, John Simpson, met with more success as he planted Cosker over mid-wicket for six, before Malan drilled Cosker through extra cover for four as the equation became 48 from 36 balls.
Hogan returned and nearly had Malan caught at long-off by Wright. Wagg also came back at the Cathedral Road End and was lofted to long-off for four by Simpson, before being swept for four by Malan as the target became 34 from 24 balls as Meschede returned, and the all-rounder bowled Malan for 70 with the second ball of his comeback over. With the fourth delivery he saw Dexter miscue to Cooke at cover as the equation became 28 from 18 balls. Wagg then kept it tight with just a series of one's and two's as Hogan delivered the penultimate over with 21 still needed from 12 balls. The wily Hogan conceded four singles before Simpson drilled him straight for four and then scampering a single to face the final over from Wagg with thirteen needed.
The left-armer kept his nerve as Simpson struck a trio of two's off the first three balls and then yielded just a single off the fourth . Franklin could then only manage one off the penultimate delivery, before Simpson failed to make contact with the last ball as Glamorgan won by four runs.