By Alun Rhys Chivers
Fourteen years to the day after an unbeaten 222 on Test debut for South Africa against Bangladesh at Chittagong, Glamorgan captain Jacques Rudolph rescued his team with 121 against Gloucestershire at Bristol in the Royal London One Day Cup.
Having been invited to bat first, Glamorgan began solidly with an opening partnership of 56 between captain Jacques Rudolph and north-Walian all-rounder David Lloyd. But the Welshman lost his wicket in the fifteenth over, shortly before the end of the powerplay, trapped leg before wicket off Benny Howell.
Carlson barely had time to settle at the crease before some calamitous running between the wickets with Rudolph saw him run out for 14, both batsmen ending up at the same end with the total on 85. But the captain went on to score the 10,000th List A run of his career on his way to a half-century.
An 89 run partnership between Rudolph and fellow South African Colin Ingram came to an abrupt and chaotic end as Rudolph was caught up in more confusion between the wickets, Ingram caught short attempting a quick single to backward point. Aneurin Donald failed to get going and Glamorgan had slumped to 182-4 inside 39 overs when he was bowled by Jack Taylor, straight-driving a turning delivery. Chris Cooke could have been caught on eight had Liam Norwell not misjudged the flight of the ball on the long on boundary and dropped what can only be termed a sitter.
Eventually, he only made it to 18, bowled by Benny Howell in the 45th over. Rudolph subsequently brought up his century in an innings which had to that point included eight fours and one six. Craig Meschede’s cameo was worth 16 towards the end of the innings before he was bowled by Chris Liddle in the penultimate over, Glamorgan having accelerated to 259-6 after a sticky period which had slowed the momentum.
Rudolph followed in the same over, bowled once again, bringing an end to a fluent innings with the total on 260. Marchant de Lange and Andrew Salter saw Glamorgan through to the close, ending on 277-7, making the target far more competitive than had once looked likely.
In reply and chasing 278, Gloucestershire got off to a decent start through openers Michael Klinger and Phil Mustard, before the latter was caught by wicket-keeper Chris Cooke off Marchant de Lange with the score on 29. With an additional two runs on the board, Colin Ingram took a superb slip catch hit hard and at him by Chris Dent to reduce Gloucestershire to 31-2. A third wicket followed one run later, Iain Cockbain handing Lukas Carey his first wicket.
Graeme van Buuren and Michael Klinger added 94 before a rain interruption meant a revised target of 270 and therefore 144 runs required of 20 overs. If Gloucestershire had victory in their sights, Colin Ingram soon put a doubt in their minds with two wickets in the second over after the resumption, Michael Klinger and Graeme van Buuren both trapped lbw for 78 and 51 respectively to reduce the home side to 147-5 after 32 overs, with a further 104 runs required from 12 overs.
A sixth Gloucestershire wicket fell on 160, Benny Howell lofting to Jacques Rudolph at mid-off off the bowling of Craig Meschede.
Jack Taylor and Tom Smith kept the Englishmen in with a shout with a solid partnership but 51 runs were still required with four overs remaining as Glamorgan started to build up the pressure. Taylor brought up his fifty inside the 49th over with a club shot to the mid-off boundary for four with 28 runs still required. Taylor carelessly found himself run out of the last ball of the penultimate over for 51, his team still requiring 26 runs to win. It was all over when Liam Norwell was bowled by Ingram in the last over, Glamorgan winning by 18 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method.