Glamorgan find that Ingram is good guy all round
COLIN Ingram took career-best bowling figures of 3-20 and added 54 runs as GLAMORGAN beat SOMERSET by seven wickets to book their spot in the t20 Blast quarter-finals.
Ingram tore through Somerset’s middle order at Sophia Gardens last week, helping to bowl them out for an under-par 152 with three balls to spare.
The 31-year-old then plundered his match-winning innings off 37 deliveries as Glamorgan got home in 18 overs.
Beaten captain Jim Allenby said: “It is disappointing and frustrating. In all the years I played at Glamorgan that is the best pitch that I have seen.
“That was a fantastic cricket pitch, short boundaries, everything that you want as a batsman and we have been bowled out for 150 on it.
“So it’s really frustrating as a team and also individually on missing out on getting a big score out there.
“These things happen but it has happened all too often this season.”
MIDDLESEX’S hopes of a home quarter-final at Glamorgan’s expense received a shot in the arm after George Bailey blasted a career-best 76 to help see off HAMPSHIRE by 43 runs – though all-rounder Ryan Higgins deserved a share of the plaudits with figures of 5-13.
Dawid Malan’s men have not progressed from the group stage in the competition since lifting the trophy in 2008, but that is all change this year with the team already qualified.
Malan won the toss at the Ageas Bowl but it was not until former Australia T20 captain Bailey and wicketkeeper John Simpson (54) shared 114 for the fourth wicket did that look the right call, Middlesex mustering 181-6.
It was Higgins who proved the visitors’ unlikely hero with the ball, though.The 21-year-old had taken one wicket in his previous 19 matches in this format, yet had the Somerset top order in a spin with three incredible overs.
Ravi Bopara (51no) and Tom Westley (74no) both hit their first half centuries of the season as ESSEX EAGLES ran riot at Canterbury, beating KENT by 33 runs.
In the week’s other match more than 22,000 filed into the Oval to watch SURREY see off SUSSEX SHARKS by six wickets, as England opener Jason Roy scored 36 runs off 25 deliveries.