Glamorgan Blast Into Last Eight Thanks To Nick Selman And Graham Wagg

By Alun Rhys Chivers

 

Glamorgan have reached the quarter-final stages of the NatWest T20 Blast after a one-run victory over Somerset. 

Nick Selman struck 66 from 42 balls before Colin Ingram chipped in with 35 from 25 deliveries as Glamorgan reached 183-6 in their allotted overs. 

Although Johann Myburgh hit 87 from 51 balls, Glamorgan remained calm as Graham Wagg, on International Left Handers Day, took two wickets for 20 to restrict Somerset in the chase to 182-6. 

Having been invited to bat first, Glamorgan’s openers Nick Selman and Aneurin Donald got off to a decent start against spinners Max Waller and Roelof van der Merwe, reaching 17-0 after two overs. 

Somerset responded with a change of tactic as they introduced pacemen Craig Overton and Paul van Meekeren into the attack. But it made little difference as the runs flowed at a constant rate as Glamorgan reached 35-0 after four overs.  

The fifty came up off a no-ball and Lewis Gregory had a half-chance to dismiss Nick Selman off van Meekeren’s bowling but he squandered it to leave Glamorgan 64-0 after the powerplay, beating their previous season best of 62-0. 

Selman’s half-century came from 26 balls, having struck eight fours but Donald was out from the next ball, caught by Dean Elgar from Craig Overton’s bowling for 33, Glamorgan 87-1 after nine overs. 

Glamorgan’s momentum was stemmed after the wicket but Selman (65 from 40 balls) and new partner Colin Ingram (19 not out from 16 balls) soldiered on to reach 123-1 after 14 overs. 

Spinner Waller returned to bowl and was gifted a chance by Ingram on the leg-side but the ball fell safely between the bowler and a frustrated fielder.

Selman was stumped, however, in the following over for 66 attempting a sweep, Glamorgan having reached 128-2. 

Glamorgan lost their third wicket in the following over when van Meekeren scattered Chris Cooke’s stumps on 1, and Glamorgan were 128-3.  

As Graham Wagg joined Ingram, they added 17 in the 17th over to reach 153-3, Ingram reaching 35 not out from 24 balls. But he soon departed, caught by fellow South African Dean Elgar off Lewis Gregory, and Glamorgan were 153-4.  

Skipper Jacques Rudolph added seven to the total before being caught by van Meekeren from a mishit off Craig Overton, Glamorgan having got to 173-5 in the penultimate over.  

A bizarre dismissal followed when Craig Meschede was run out backing up, when the ball deflected off van Meekeren and onto the stumps.

Glamorgan ended on 183-6, Graham Wagg unbeaten on 28. 

It took just four balls for Glamorgan to take their first wicket as Somerset chased 184 to win. Steve Davies took a wild swing outside off-stump and found the safe hands of Marchant de Lange off spinner Andrew Salter. But Lewis Gregory got going to keep Somerset on course at 26-1. 

Gregory was taken by Wagg in the following over, however, as the batsman pulled to de Lange for 18, the Westcountrymen 26-2.

By the end of the powerplay, Somerset were 53-2, 11 runs behind Glamorgan at the same stage having lost two more wickets. 

Dean Elgar and Johann Myburgh built an important partnership to reach 87 before Elgar was dismissed for 24, caught by Selman off Hogan as Somerset got to 93-3 at the halfway stage, still two runs adrift.

They brought up the 100 at the end of the following over.  

But they soon lost their fourth wicket when James Hildreth played a loose shot to Lukas Carey off Wagg for nine, and Somerset were struggling at 101-4 after 12 overs. Myburgh brought up his half-century with a six at the start of the 13th over.  

A total of 38 runs came from the following three overs to leave Somerset needing 42 from the last five overs of the match.

Twelve came from the first of them by Marchant de Lange. So, 22 from 18 balls was the equation when former Glamorgan skipper Jim Allenby was run out for 21, and de Lange followed up by bowling Myburgh for 87 at 164-6. 

Roelof van der Merwe came in for the penultimate over and struck a six to leave Somerset needing eight from the final six deliveries.

But it proved too much as the Welshmen came out on top by a solitary, but significant run. 

 

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