Glamorgan victory out of Africa after trio pile on the runs
SOUTH Africans David Miller, Jacques Rudolph and Colin Ingram led Glamorgan to a 25-run NatWest T20 Blast win over previously unbeaten Gloucestershire at Bristol.
Miller marked his debut for the county with a 32-ball half-century, featuring 4 fours and 3 sixes, as the visitors ran up 176 for five after losing the toss. Rudolph contributed 51 off 46 deliveries, while Thisara Perera was the pick of the Gloucestershire attack with two for 25.
Ingram then conceded just 18 runs from his four overs of legspin to help restrict Gloucestershire to 151 for seven in reply. Michael Klinger top-scored with 52 and Michael Hogan claimed two wickets.
Victory saw the visitors leapfrog their opponents in the South Group, drawing level with leaders Surrey on nine points.
The Glamorgan innings had begun sketchily on a strange coloured pitch that looked green in the main, but worn at the edges. After Aneurin Donald had departed early, Ingram had an escape on one when dropped by Jack Taylor at deep-square off his brother Matt in the fourth over.
It looked like proving an expensive miss when the dangerous Ingram smacked the first six of the game off David Payne. But on 18 he top-edged an attempted pull shot and skied a return catch to Perera. At the end of the six-over power play Glamorgan were 41 for two. It was then that Miller went on the charge, hoisting consecutive sixes off Jack Taylor in what proved the off-spinner’s only over.
Perera bowled well to keep a check on the scoring rate, but the 11th over, sent down by Matt Taylor, saw Miller strike a six and a four before Rudolph helped himself to successive boundaries.
Miller went to his half-century in the 15th over, but the next delivery from Payne saw him well caught by Kieran Noema-Barnett at mid-on to end an impressive innings of 50.
Rudolph moved to his fifty off 44 balls, with 4 fours and a six, but then drilled a straightforward catch to Benny Howell at long-off to give Perera his second wicket. The Sri Lankan bowled full in the closing overs and was unlucky to concede a couple of streaky boundaries.
Chris Cooke fell cheaply to Noema-Barnett, but Graham Wagg and Craig Meschede ensured Glamorgan of a competitive total.
It looked even better when Michael Hogan bowled Phil Mustard for two in the third over of Gloucestershire’s reply. But Ian Cockbain looked in prime form as he and Klinger took the score to 48 for one at the end of the power play. Cockbain’s bright cameo ended on 25 when Craig Meschede deceived him with a cutter and the ball went straight up to be taken by wicketkeeper Cooke.
George Hankins soon followed for a duck, caught at short thirdman attempting a reverse scoop off a gentle long-hop from Ingram, who then conceded only three from his second over
At the halfway stage of their innings Gloucestershire were becalmed on 65 for three. Klinger went on the attack, hitting a straight six and a four to third-man off successive balls from Meschede.
Another straight six from Klinger, off van der Gugten, raised home voices in a 4,000 crowd and a second maximum in the over took the Gloucestershire skipper to fifty off 33 balls, with 4 sixes..
But the bowler responded with a slower delivery that bowled the experienced Aussie, a hammer blow to Gloucestershire hopes.
Jack Taylor smacked a six and a four off Wagg, who then had him caught at long-off to claim his 100th T20 wicket, as Glamorgan closed in on a well-earned success.