Despite a superb new ball spell of 4/14 in 25 balls by Michael Hogan , Glmaorgan lost by one run to Somerset in bowler-friendly conditions at Taunton in their Royal London One-Day Cup match which was reduced by rain to 37 overs.
Somerset were Glamorgan’s first-ever opponents in List A cricket with the two teams meeting at Cardiff Arms Park in the 1963 Gillette Cup. Today’s encounter at Taunton is Somerset’s 1000th List A contest although it was probably their first-ever when the toss took place in front of the dug-outs on the edge of the outfield as the Taunton groundstaff prepared things out in the middle after a series of heavy showers had delayed the start until 12.10pm, initially as a 42 overs contest.
Kiran Carlson won the toss and, with further showers forecast plus a green-tinged surface, he wisely opted to bowl first whilst, as one wag said, it was very fitting given the meteorological conditions that former Gloucestershire spinner, George Drissell, should be making his debut for Somerset. Michael Hogan and Lukas Carey shared the new ball once again with the Welsh county fielding an unchanged line-up against a young Somerset side missing nine players with Hundred franchises. It only took four balls for Hogan to make an impact as he found the edge of Sam Young’s bat with Tom Cullen completing a regulation catch, before with his seventh legitimate delivery Hogan removed Steve Davies as Andrew Gorvin took a smart diving catch low at mid-wicket.
5-2 saw James Hildreth make his way to the middle but, after three further balls, the precipitation returned and led to the loss of another over. When play resumed, George Bartlett drilled Carey through extra-cover for four but next over he was bowled groping forward to the wily veteran who produced a clever delivery which jagged back in late to the batsman. After being hit on the helmet by Carey, Hildreth showed there were no ill effects as he struck successive balls from Hogan to the ropes at mid-wicket.
The old warhorse however had the last laugh as next over Hildreth spared at a rising delivery outside off stump and edged to Steve Reingold who completed a chest high catch at first slip. 26-4 saw Eddie Byrom join Lewis Goldsworthy as Joe Cooke and Gorvin entered the attack with the former nearly removing Byrom who drove uppishly towards Hogan at mid-off. Goldsworthy was more assured as he on-drove Cooke for four before Reingold’s off-spin was also introduced. The youngster made an immediate impact as with his fifth delivery as Byrom, looking to run the ball down to third man ended up edging the delivery into Cullen’s gloves.
49-5 saw acting captain Ben Green make his way to the middle and he began by on-driving Carey who replaced Cooke at the River Tone End before lofting Reingold for a straight-driven four. His aggression prompted the return of Hogan but it also coincided with the arrival of glowering clouds and further rain as the players again left the field with Somerset on 84-5 in the 26th over and the further loss of four overs.
With 11.3 overs remaining, Green immediately went on the attack, pulling Reingold for four before flicking him to the ropes at fine-leg and then reverse-sweeping him for another boundary. He also greeted the return of Cooke by pulling him for four before repeating the stroke against Reingold to complete a 48-ball fifty. But with the total on 135 Callum Taylor had Goldsworthy caught at deep mid-wicket as the young Cornishman looked to harpoon the bowler over the Andy Caddick Pavilion.
With Kasey Aldridge as his new partner, Green lofted a slower delivery from Cooke to long-on for four before pulling and on-driving Hogan for a pair of fours as he returned for his final over besides completing Glamorgan-best List A figures of 4/33 to surpass his previous best analysis of 4/34 against Somerset at Cardiff in 2013. After nearly holing out at fine-leg, Green then swatted Carey for six over mid-wicket before being bowled by the seamer with three balls remaining as Somerset ended on 180.
After the DLS calculations had been completed, there was no change to Glmaorgan’s target of 181, with Hamish Rutherford starting their pursuit with a square-driven four in Jack Brooks’ opening over. The Kiwi also scythed the opening bowler to third man for four before being trapped l.b.w. to the final ball of the over. 8-1 then became 14-2 as Selman spliced a short ball from Sonny Baker to short mid-wicket where Byrom completed a diving catch. Carlson began with a square-driven four before dabbing Brooks through the slips for another four as light rain started to fall.
Reingold square-drove Baker for four before surviving a loud appeal for l.b.w. whilst Carlson repeated the stroke against the teenager, followed by a booming cover drive. But Aldridge then struck with his first delivery as Carlson spliced a ball down the leg-side with Davies completing the regulation catch. 44-3 nearly became 44-4 as Reingold edged the next delivery just over the head of a diving Hildreth at slip.
Ben Green’s productive day continued as he also took a wicket with his first delivery as he bowled Reingold as the batsman played onto his stumps. Cullen then inside-edged his second ball for four before straight-driving Aldridge for a more orthodox boundary. Billy Root worked the ball around as Cullen guided Aldridge to the vacant third man boundary. Root then greeted the return of Baker by clipping him to mid-wicket for four before upper-cutting him for four to third man as it started to rain again.
Play continued however as Cullen off-drove Aldridge before Root on-drove Baker for another crisply struck boundary as the rain dissipated before, coincidentally, Drissell entered the attack with the equation for Glamorgan being 65 from 13 overs. The two batsmen calmly worked the ball around and also took their side ahead of the DLS par score before Cullen guided Aldridge to third man. But with the total on 127 Cullen was caught down the legside attempting another deft glance against the young seamer.
Cooke announced his arrival with a crisp cover drive for four against Drissell but next over he edged Aldridge into the wicket-keeper’s gloves with Glamorgan still needing 46 runs from 48 balls and now behind the DLS par score. Taylor began by square-driving Drissell for four, but later in the over the debutant spinner removed Root as he top-edged a sweep with Hildreth at point completing the catch.
Carey came in and biffed Aldridge through the covers before nearly holing out at mid-off, but he continued to use the long handle as Green returned to the fray and punched him through extra cover for four followed by another lusty drive to mid-wicket, but with 21 needed from 30 balls, Baker returned and bowled Taylor as he dragged a ball onto his stumps. Gorvin could not score another run in the over before Carey launched Green into the hands of Baker at long-off. Hogan duly made his way to the middle as the task became 16 from 18 balls.
The last wicket pair scampered a trio of singles in Baker’s final over as the equation became 13 from 12 balls. Green then conceded just three singles in his last over as ten were needed from the final over from the final over bowled by Goldsworthy. The pair scored three singles but Hogan could not score off the fourth ball before swatting the fifth ball to mid-wicket for one. Gorvin needed to strike the last ball for six to win the game, but he could only drive it for four as Somerset won by one run.