Another energetic and accurate performance in the field by Glamorgan saw the Welsh county maintain their unbeaten record in the competition this summer, and complete a home and away double over the Bears as they successfully chased a target of 127 to win by eight wickets with Mark Wallace scoring 69* after Michael Hogan had taken 3/11 in their Friends Life t20 contest at Rugby School and in front of a sell-out crowd at the famous public school.
An hour and a half after the fantastic result in the rugby for the British and Irish Lions, play began at the legendary cradle of the oval-ball game as county cricket began at Rugby School with Warwickshire batting first after winning the toss. The Welsh county made one change to their side from the line-up which defeated the Bears by four wickets at the SWALEC Stadium on Wednesday evening with Jim Allenby, having recovered from a gastric complaint, replacing Alex Jones.Indeed it was Allenby who opened the bowling to Varun Chopra and Darren Maddy with the latter striking the first boundary as he off-drove the all-rounder. Nick James shared the new ball and was punched through extra cover by Chopra, before an overthrow for four saw the Bears reach 18 whereupon Maddy pulled at the last ball of the second over straight to Chris Cooke at deep mid-wicket.
Laurie Evans then joined Chopra and after a few savage wafts, he departed l.b.w. to Hogan with the total on 26. Three runs later a superb pick up and throw by Nathan McCullum at mid-off ran out Ateeq Javid as he tried to sneak a single in Graham Wagg's first over.
After a flurry of singles, Chopra off-drove Cosker for four as the Bears reached the 50-mark in the tenth over, with Chris Woakes then off-driving James for four followed by a similar stroke for six against McCullum. But the Kiwi made amends as later in the over James at cover took a fine diving catch to end Chopra's innings with the Bears on 67/4.
Rikki Clarke announced his arrival by lofting McCullum over extra cover for six before driving Cosker for fours through extra cover and mid-wicket from successive deliveries as well as felling the spinner with another booming drive. But Allenby returned for the 16th over and a subtle change of pace saw Woakes spoon back a catch as the Bears lost their fifth wicket on 88. Clarke then unleashed a ramp stroke but a mix-up in calling saw Cosker run out the all-rounder after Keith Barker declined a single with his side on 93/6.
Steffan Piolet then joined Barker with the pair using the long handle as the former lofted Allenby over mid-wicket for six before holing out at long-on in the final over bowled by the parsimonious Hogan who two balls later removed Patel in the same manner as the Bears ended on 126/8.
Allenby and Mark Wallace opened the batting with the former clubbing successive deliveries from Clarke through extra cover for four before leg-glancing the bowler for another boundary. Wallace also carefully guided Patel's first ball through point before drilling the last ball of the over through extra cover. Allenby then lofted Chris Wright's first delivery to the ropes at long-off before despatching the third through extra cover as the opening pair unleashed a flurry of fours
But the last ball of the fourth over saw Allenby chip a ball from Wright into Chopra's hands as Glamorgan lost their first wicket with their total on 33. Cooke then joined Wallace and after some scampered singles, Cooke flicked Wright to fine-leg for six as the visitor's reached fifty after six overs and the end of the powerplay.
Wallace then celebrated by reverse-sweeping Patel for four and harpooning Piolet over extra cover for another boundary. The opener then added two more fours in the over - to backward point and third man - before reverse-sweeping Patel yet again as more boundaries were posted after eight overs than in the entire Bears innings.
Glamorgan continued to boss proceedings as Wallace lofted Javid over extra cover to complete a 32-ball fifty but with the total on 99 Woakes returned and bowled Cooke for 19. Goodwin duly joined Wallace and opened his account by drilling Woakes straight for four. The pair quietly worked the ball around before Goodwin struck Evanms straight for six to end the match with fourteen balls to spare and Wallace unbeaten on 69.
With Glamorgan celebrating today their 125th anniversary of their founding on July 6th 1888, their eight-wicket victory in this afternoon's contest was therefore a very fitting celebration as Warwickshire were their opponents in their inaugural county match at Cardiff Arms Park in June 1889 and won the game by the same margin.
