A superb 84 by Chris Cooke plus a rapid 31 off 17 balls by Graham Wagg saw Glamorgan defeat the Yorkshire Vikings by four wickets at Headingley Carnegie as the Welsh county secured the victory they needed to secure a semi-final spot in a limited-overs competition for the first time since 2004.
After their journey up to Northern England last night from West Wales, Glamorgan made one change to their side which defeated the Leicestershire Foxes at Swansea with Simon Jones replacing Ben Wright. After the home side had won the toss and elected to bat, Michael Hogan began with three wides before bowling debutant Jonathan Tattersall, one of several Colts in a youthful side, two of whom were not even born when Murray Goodwin made his debut in first-class cricket back in 1994.
Four runs later, Alex Lees was smartly run out by Andrew Salter at mid-off as he tried to scamper a quick single with the teenage spinner swiftly picking the ball up and making a direct hit at the bowler's end with the young Yorkshireman well out of his ground. Dan Hodgson then struck boundaries square of the wicket against both Hogan and Jim Allenby. But the batsman was then struck on the chin by a short ball in Simon Jones' opening over, with the opener needing seven minutes of medical attention before resuming.
He soon showed no ill effects as he struck the paceman for successive fours, before Kane Williamson on-drove Allenby for four. The spinners Dean Cosker and Andrew Salter then entered the fray as the Vikings reached the 50-mark in the 13th over. At first, they kept the Vikings in check as they continued to accumulate in one's and two's until Hodgson pulled Cosker for four to the ropes at mid-wicket. Williamson then struck Salter inside-out over extra cover.
The Kiwi then lofted Cosker over long-on for six before Graham Wagg replaced him at the Rugby Ground End with Hodgson completing a 63-ball fifty. Williamson then pulled Wagg for four as the Vikings reached the 100-mark in the 24th over before Allenby returned with the pair completing their century stand from 134 balls. But next ball Williamson miscued a drive and Jones completed a diving catch at mid-off.
Hodgson then swept Cosker in front of, and behind, square before Adam Lyth lofted Salter straight for six. Hodgson also struck Cosker's final delivery for six before Hogan and Wagg returned. The latter was scythed over backward point for four by Hodgson but the bowler gained revenge as Cosker took a good low catch as the batsman attempted to repeat the stroke.
With the score on 162/4 Jack Leaning joined Lyth as Yorkshire took their batting powerplay in the 36th over and the new batsman drilled Wagg over extra cover for four before Lyth straight drove Hogan for two fours and a six in successive balls. Leaning then straight drove Wagg for six as the Vikings reached the 200-mark, before Lyth lofted Hogan straight for four. The paceman then gained revenge by bowling Lyth with his final delivery before the Vikings ended on 215/5.
Gareth Rees and Mark Wallace opened the batting against Ian Wardlaw and Moin Ashraf, with the home bowlers delivering a tight new ball spell with the first boundary coming in the fourth over as Wallace speared Ashraf over backward point for four. But with the total on eight Rees pulled Wardlaw into the hands of Oliver Robinson at deep square-leg.
Chris Cooke then announced his arrival with three successive fours through the off-side against Wardlaw, but Wallace then swatted Ashraf to give Robinson at deep square-leg his second catch. With the total on 33/2, Cooke was joined by Allenby who quietly worked the ball around as the pair accelerated in one's and two's before Cooke on-drove Ben Coad for four. Jim Allenby then brought up the fifty stand by lofting Williamson straight for six
Cooke then completed his 50 from 52 balls before pulling Robinson's medium-pace for four. Allenby also drilled Williamson's off-spin for four before bowled by the Kiwi with the total on 113. Marcus North duly joined Cooke as the target became 98 in 17 overs. After a series of singles, Cooker pulled Pyrah for six before North drilled Pyrah through mid-off. On 77 Cooke had a life as he was dropped by Leaning as he drilled a ball back to the young spinner.
He celebrated his good fortune by pulling a long hop from the youngster for six, but he then pulled another short ball to deep mid-wicket where the tall Robinson plucked the ball out of the air just as it looked as if it was sailing over the ropes for another six. With the total on 160 Murray Goodwin joined North and swiftly despatched a full toss from Leaning for four as the target became 45 off 42 balls, but with the total on 174 Ashraf returned and bowled North with a ball which scuttled through.
Pyrah then returned as Wagg joined Goodwin and only conceded two singles as the equation became 40 off 30 balls with Glamorgan taking their powerplay. Wagg began by lofting Ashraf over mid-wicket for six before depositing Pyrah onto the roof of the rugby grandstand. He then drilled him over long-on for six before pulling him for another maximum over mid-wicket. Wagg continued his blitzkrieg with a four over extra cover but he then drilled a drive into the hands of mid-off. It meant just six were needed and with seven balls remaining Goodwin drilled Wardlaw for four to clinch a semi-final spot. for the first time since they met the Leicestershire Foxes in the semi-finals of the Twenty20 Cup at Edgbaston in August 2004.
