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- Birthday Boy Ruaidhri Smith Says Glamorgan Can Keep Rolling Towards T Knockout Stages
Ruaidhri Smith believes Glamorgan can clinch a place in the Vitality Blast quarter-finals after his birthday bash destroyed Middlesex.
The all-rounder recorded the best-ever economy rate by a Glamorgan bowler in T20 cricket as his side demolished Middlesex by seven wickets at Richmond on Sunday.
His stunning figures of four for six meant the Scotsman marked his 24th birthday in style as Glamorgan moved up to fifth in the south table, level of points with fourth-placed Surrey with eight matches to go in the group stages.
Glamorgan now play Essex Eagles at home on Tuesday and Smith insists: “The team’s gone on a little bit of a roll now so hopefully we can carry that on and go through to the quarter-finals.
“We’ve been a bit unlucky that a few of the guys have gone down with injuries and call-ups, but that’s brought us together a bit and everyone’s stepped up to the plate in these last few games.
“It was a lovely birthday present and even better to get the win at the end. There were a couple of good balls and a couple of lucky inside edges onto the stumps – everything was going my way.
“We’ve played here a few times now and there have been a couple of 200-run chases, so it was nice to keep them under 150 and we were confident going into our batting. I was quite happy not to be needed for that.”
Smith dismissed Nick Gubbins, Stevie Eskinazi, England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan and Paul Stirling in an inspired spell which effectively settled the game.
Next to the cheapest four-over spell in the county’s T20 history, Timm van der Gugten’s four for 31 was shunted to second fiddle status, though James Fuller’s 46 ushered the hosts to the relative respectability of 131 all out.
That still proved easy pickings with Colin Ingram’s 46 not out sealing a seven-wicket win with 43 balls remaining.
Glamorgan coach Robert Croft said: “I am not even looking at the table at the moment.
“We are just trying to concentrate on our performance levels and if we get those right, then everything else will follow.”
