Douthwaite holds his nerve to give Glamorgan victory

DAN Douthwaite powered Glamorgan to a six-wicket victory with a last-over six-hitting blitz against Worcestershire Rapids paceman Pat Brown in a Vitality Blast encounter at Blackfinch New Road.

Douthwaite smashed three of the opening four balls from the England T20 bowler over the ropes to see his side to their 191 victory target with two balls to spare.

His hitting upstaged a century by Rapids opener Hamish Rutherford in the final game of his third spell with the county.

Rutherford received excellent support from Jake Libby in a dazzling second-wicket partnership of 101 in nine overs as the Rapids totalled an impressive 190-3.

Glamorgan openers Nick Selman and David Lloyd gave their side a perfect platform in reply with a stand of 120 in 13 overs and then Douthwaite took centre stage.

Rapids captain Ed Barnard elected to bat and Rutherford gave his side a flying start with a six over long on off Andrew Salter and two sweeps for four in an over costing 16 runs.

He then crashed Ruaidhri Smith over the mid-wicket boundary.

Smith received the same treatment in his next over from Jack Haynes who had a let off when dropped at point off the next delivery on 10. It was not a costly drop as he added only two more before being caught off a top edge at third man off Timm van der Gugten.

Jake Libby immediately got into his stride with two cuts to the ropes in an over from the returning Prem Sisodiya.

Libby had raced to 47 when he holed out to deep mid-wicket off van der Gugten.

Rutherford’s century came up with a cut for four off van der Gugten before he departed to a catch at deep point from the next delivery.

When Glamorgan launched their reply, openers David Lloyd and Nick Selman gave their side the ideal start.

Brown came in for rough treatment, conceding 34 in his opening two overs and being hit for 4-4-6-4-4 from successive deliveries by Selman.

He completed an excellent halfcentury from 26 balls with two sixes and seven fours.

Glamorgan were well in command at the halfway stage when they stood on 98-0. But the stand was finally broken on 120 in the 13th over when Lloyd (56) picked out mid-wicket off Daryl Mitchell.

Brown returned to the attack and struck with successive balls as Andrew Balbirnie (23) and Kiran Carlson (0) departed.

Selman (78) fell in the penultimate over, but Douthwaite was up to the challenge of scoring 13 off the final over.

He hit the first two balls from Brown over the ropes and clubbed the fourth over long on.