Colin Ingram made 110 from 77 balls as Glamorgan beat Wales National Counties by 133 runs in their showcase friendly at Sophia Gardens.
Rain delayed the start until 1245pm with the contest being reduced to a 40overs per side game. David Lloyd and Sam Northeast opened the Glamorgan innings after Wales had opted to bowl first, with Richie Edwards and Andy Gorvin sharing the new ball. Both batters late-cut Gorvin for four whilst Lloyd also punched Edwards through backward point for four before clipping Gorvin to deep backward square-leg.
Lloyd then drilled Edwards high over point for four for a pair of boundaries but with the total on 40, he straight drove Ben Morris’ opening delivery back to the bowler who deflected it onto the stumps with Northeast stranded out of his ground and run out for 10 – a mere 400 less than his last innings! Having been joined by Colin Ingram, he then straight drove and pulled the youngster for six and four en route to completing a 34-ball fifty. He celebrated by drilling a free hit from Morris over extra-cover for six but Edwards switched ends and removed Lloyd who cut a ball straight to Tom Bevan at backward point.
Kiran Carlson made his way to the middle and nurdled Edwards for four to third man. The third wicket pair accumulated in one’s and two’s until Ingram drilled Gorvin for four through mid-on, followed by a reverse-pull for four by Carlson against Tegid Phillips. But the young twirler had the last laugh as next ball he deceived the batter with his flight as he advanced down the wicket with Alex Horton completing a regulation stumping.
110-3 saw the arrival of Billy Root, with Ingram sweeping Phillips for four before square-driving Sam Jardine for four. He also drilled Phillips just over the head of extra-cover for four before pulling Jardine for a huge six. He then swept Wadlan for four to complete his fifty from 44 balls prior to sweeping Ben Kellaway for four. Root then swept Gorvin for four before straight-driving Kellaway for four.
Ingram also swept Kellaway for six over mid-wicket before Root pulled a no-ball from Phillips for six, followed by a huge straight-drive for another maximum from the free hit. Ingram then reached his hundred by clipping Wadlan for four to deep square-leg followed by a huge six over long on – his 70th delivery as he became the first Glamorgan batter to score a One-day hundred against Wales. He celebrated by harpooning Phillips for another six but next over Morris returned and removed both batters, in the space of four balls, courtesy of a pair of fine diving catches by Horton.
Chris Cooke and Dan Douthwaite joined forces with their side on 254-4 with 43 balls remaining. Cooke reverse-swept Wadlan for four before Douthwaite cover-drove the spinner for another lusty four. Cooke then unfurled a cheeky ramp stroke for four against Morris before Douthwaite drilled Morris over long-on for six. He then did the same to Edwards over long-off before Cooke holed out at long-on in the penultimate over. Douthwaite continued to use the long handle drilling Gorvin for another huge six before holing out at long-off to the penultimate ball, with Andrew Salter then hoisting the last ball for six as Glamorgan ended on 331-7 with 100 runs coming from the last ten overs.
Timm van der Gugten and Jamie McIlroy shared the new ball as Bevan and Horton began the reply. The latter opened his shoulders to pull McIlroy for six before the former on-drove van der Gugten for four. Horton also square-cut van der Gugten for four before biffing him to long-on. Bevan then on-drove McIlroy for four before pulling him for another six.
With the total on 40 Horton edged van der Gugten to second slip where Northeast held a good catch with Connor Brown making his way to the middle. He began with a deft nurdle to third man for four before Bevan unfurled a pair of scorching off-drives against Douthwaite. However Joe Cooke removed Brown with his first delivery as his namesake behind the stumps completed a good catch. Next ball, Wadlan departed in identical fashion before Morgan Bevans avoided the hat-trick as the Wales team slipped to 58-3.
Bevan responded by lofting Cooke for a straight six but next over Douthwaite removed Morgan Bevans who skied a pull into van der Gugten’s hands at deep backward square-leg. Bevan then drilled Douthwaite for four to long-on before pulling him for six to complete a 44-ball fifty. Ben Kellaway on-drove Cooke for four before Bevan on-drove Cooke for another six.
Kellaway then swept Salter for four before Bevan greeted the return of McIlroy at the River End by pulling him for four followed by a huge six over mid-wicket. Kellaway then lofted Salter for four to long-off before reverse-sweeping him for four, but with the total on 143 Bevan, on 80, drove McIlroy into Ingram’s hands at mid-on. Gorvin then edged the next ball into Cooke’s gloves, before next over Phillips departed in identical fashion as he attempted to pull the left-armer.
Sam Jardine then used the long handle to pull Douthwaite for a pair of fours as well as a booming straight drive for six. He then swatted Joe Cooke for three successive fours but with the total on 190 Kellaway edged a pull against Douthwaite into Cooke’s gloves. Salter then bowled Jardine before doing the same three balks later as Wales were dismissed for 198.