Glamorgan Denied By Rain Despite Jacques Rudolph Flurry

By Alun Rhys Chivers

 

Glamorgan and Somerset shared the spoils at Cardiff on Saturday night, where their T20 Blast match was abandoned after just 17.2 overs of Glamorgan’s innings.

Despite a 35-minute delay because of rain, there was no reduction in overs, and after winning the toss, Somerset, who had lost the previous nine games in the competition, elected to bowl first.

They gained immediate success when Lewis Gregory, with the second ball of his first over, had David Lloyd caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Steve Davies for a single.

Aneurin Donald, however, was soon into his stride, pulling Craig Overton for four, before sweeping him over the wicketkeeper for six.

Colin Ingram, who scored a 46-ball century against Sussex last week, then struck Tim Groenewald for 14 runs in the over, which included a huge six 14 rows back into the members’ enclosure.

Somerset then took their second wicket when Donald skied Gregory to mid-on after scoring 24 from 13 balls. But Ingram kept attacking, hitting Allenby for another six, before he was caught on the mid-wicket boundary for 39 from 21 balls.

Glamorgan were 92 for 3 at the halfway stage, but then lost their fourth wicket when Andrew Salter was well held by Max Waller off his own bowling.

Jacques Rudolph and Chris Cooke maintained the momentum with a rapid partnership of 52 in only 4.2 overs, which ended when Cooke struck a full toss from Groenewald to mid-off.

Rudolph then reached his 50 from only 28 balls, which included four fours and two sixes with Glamorgan reaching 158 for 5 after 16 overs.

After another eight balls were bowled, the rain returned with the home county well placed on 171 for 5 after 17.2 overs.

Glamorgan now travel to Chelmsford where they will face Essex on Sunday in a 2.30pm start, while Somerset travel to Uxbridge to face Middlesex, also a 2.30pm start.

Somerset’s winless run has now extended to 10 games – some might optimistically say that it ends a run of nine defeats.