Half-centuries from Murray Goodwin (59) and Jim Allenby (50), plus a jaunty 22 from a dozen balls from Ben Wright helped Glamorgan to roar back to winning ways as they defeated Worcestershire by five wickets with five balls to spare in their vital match in the Friends Life t20 at the SWALEC Stadium.
The Welsh county made one change to their line-up which lost on Sunday to Gloucestershire at Cheltenham, with Ben Wright replacing Alex Jones, and it was Jim Allenby and Graham Wagg who opened the bowling as Glamorgan looked to emulate their achievements during the last week of June at New Road against Worcestershire when they launched their Twenty20 campaign with a comprehensive victory by 58 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis Method.
Thilan Samaraweera struck the first boundary of the evening as he on-drove Allenby for four in the opening over, but Wagg - who had taken a record 5/14 in the victory at Worcester - then yielded just a single in his first over before Michael Hogan delivered the third over which cost a mere two runs. In a bid to up the tempo, Moeen Ali then attempted an expansive drive against Wagg and spooned the ball to Chris Cooke at extra cover.
12/1 saw Alexei Kervezee arrive at the crease to join Samaraweera who lofted Allenby again to long-on before nearly being caught and bowled by the all-rounder as the ball sped back to him in his follow-through. The Sri Lankan celebrated his good fortune by clubbing Allenby for four to mid-wicket in his next over. With Worcestershire on 35/1 after seven overs Dean Cosker's spin was introduced and Samaraweera responded by also pulling him to mid-wicket for four followed by a flowing cover drive for three.
Nathan McCullum also entered the fray at the River End and was drilled through cover for four by Samaraweera as the visitors reached 60/1 at the halfway stage. Nick James was also despatched over cover and mid-off by the Sri Lankan as he reached fifty off 36 balls. He then got a thick outside edge to a ball from Cosker which sped to third man for four, but a lofted drive by Kervezee against McCullum was straight out of the middle as he lofted a six over the River End before drilling the next delivery to mid-wicket for four.
A straight six by Samaraweera against Cosker brought up the hundred in the 14th over but three runs later he was run out by Murray Goodwin at backward point as the batsmen tried to sneak a quick single, but the elder statesman of county cricket made a direct hit at the keeper's end. Andre Russell then joined Kervezee and he began by scything McCullum to deep mid-wicket for four before wafting Wagg over backward point for four.
The bowler gained revenge as he rearranged the West Indian's stumps with his next delivery and with his side on 130/3 Gareth Andrew came in with his mongoose bat. But it was Kervezee who continued to find the ropes as he swept MCullum for four before holing out to mid-wicket as Worcestershire lost their fourth wicket on 137. Andrew then struck the Kiwi for a massive six over long-off before Joe Leach holed out next over to Nick James to give Wagg another wicket. James then dropped Andrew next ball but it did not prove to be too expensive a miss as Hogan returned to bowl a frugal final over in which he also had Ben Cox caught by James as the visitor's ended on 157/6.
Allenby and Mark Wallace then led the Glamorgan chase with the former drilling Shantry through the covers in his opening over. But the latter departed in Russell's opening over as he skied a drive to Andrew at mid-on. Allenby responded by cover driving Andrew for four before biffing Russell to long-on and wide third man as boundaries came off successive deliveries before the West Indian departed the field feeling unwell and receiving medical attention in the dugouts.
Cooke then pulled Andrew for four before upper cutting the bowler into the hands of third man as Glamorgan slipped to 28/2. Marcus North opened his account with a pair of swept fours in Shaaiq Choudhry's opening over - one orthodox and the other reverse - before being trapped l.b.w. in Moeen's opening over with Glamorgan on 46/3.
Goodwin then joined Allenby as the Welsh county reached fifty as the target became 100 off the last ten overs. Allenby responded by harpooning Choudhry for six into the Grandstand before Goodwin delicately cut Moeen for four and leg-glanced Leach for six over long-leg as the equation was reduced to 70 from 7 overs. Allenby then reached his fifty from 42 balls before Goodwin brought up the fifty stand with a sweep for four against Moeen.
Goodwin continued to play assertively as he cut Andrew for four but with the totals on 105 Allenby was caught at long-on. Goodwin responded by swatting Andrew for six as the target became 46 off five overs with Wright joining Goodwin. The new batsman pulled a short ball from Leach for four as the target became 37 off 24 balls.
Goodwin deftly clipped Shantry to long-leg to complete a 30-ball fifty and with his partner scurrying some swift one's and two's the equation became 26 off 18 balls. The pair continued to scamper and rotate the strike as the visitor's rued the absence of Russell but with his final delivery Andrew had Goodwin caught at backward point
With 18 needed off a dozen balls Wright held his nerve as he cut Shantry for four before chipping him for two to mid-wicket and then lapping him to long-leg for another boundary. He then speared the next ball through backward point for three before McCullum nurdled the next ball for two before bringing the scores level with another glide for two. Four leg byes then came off the first ball of the final over as Glamorgan won by five wickets.
