Match Reports

Glamorgan v Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire shared the spoils with Glamorgan after yet another nail-biting finish for The Shire, this time at Sophia Gardens.

Andrew Tye rescued Gloucestershire from what looked like an inevitable loss when he smashed 38 off 18 to give the team every chance of victory right up to the final delivery.

Chasing 173, the visiting team didn’t get off to an ideal start losing Miles Hammond with the first delivery of the innings to Andrew Salter. After Michael Klinger finished on 27, Cockbain and Higgins started to build a solid partnership which eclipsed 50 before Cockbain was caught for 40.

Higgins stayed in the middle for just over a half an hour but was crucially caught for 37 off the bowling of Andrew Salter who picked up four wickets in the match. Jack Taylor fell to the same man on his fourth ball changing the outlook the game from a tight looking finish to an outside chance of a Gloucestershire victory.

In stepped Andrew Tye and Benny Howell who turned the game on its head once again. Tye, showed no fear with the bat and hit boundaries that would later prove to be essential to Gloucestershire’s chase. Two fours and a six from three balls meant 14 runs were needed off the final over. A hugely important six from Benny left five more to get from the last three balls. Howell tried to end it in one go with a heavy heave that was caught by Root. Tye and van Buuren could only run for two on the final ball meaning both sides finished on 172, ending the game in a tie.

Tye said:

“We had a bit of luck at the end, but we will take the tie after needing thirty three from the last over.

Credit to Benny Howell who struck a six towards the end, which kept us in the game, but our bowling was a bit loose. That is something we need to improve on”.

Earlier in the evening, the Gloucestershire bowlers found it difficult to break Glamorgan’s opening partnership of David Lloyd and Fakhar Zaman. Lloyd the man to eventually go in the eighth over to Benny Howell, skiing a mishit ball into the welcome hands of Klinger.

Four overs of solid batting from Zaman followed to ensure Glamorgan’s chances wouldn’t falter quite as quickly as they have done thus far in the Blast campaign. Zaman was caught by Cockbain in the twelfth over off Ryan Higgins, helping the visitors on their way to an economically better second half.

Tom Smith took the third wicket of the contest, another catch to Cockbain by the boundary. David Payne ended Glamorgan’s innings with a terrific final over, running out Root for 20 and taking Lawlor for two with the penultimate ball. Glamorgan finished their innings 172/5, a good but attainable score for the Gloucestershire batsmen.

Gloucestershire now face a quick turnaround as they return to the Bristol County Ground for the first Vitality Blast match in Bristol in 2019. They take on Essex Eagles under the floodlights tomorrow evening.