Following the results from other games in the Friends Life t20 over the weekend, Glamorgan need to defeat Gloucestershire in their final group match at the SWALEC Stadium on Tuesday evening in order to guarantee a place in the last eight of the competition.
This scenario follows Durham's victory on Sunday afternoon over Derbyshire. The top two sides in each of the three groups automatically qualify for the quarter-finals, together with the top two teams (as determined by points and then, if equal, net run rate) in third place in the other groups. Durham now have 11.75 points in third spot in the North Group with Essex currently in third place in the South Group with 11 points and a run rate of +0.351, whilst Glamorgan are in third place in their group with 10 points and a run rate of -0.006, so the Welsh county are the team at present who simply have to win their final group match and increase their tally of points in order to leapfrog above Durham and into the qualification zone.
Such a scenario was also influenced by Worcestershire's dramatic victory over Somerset on Saturday afternoon at New Road. Both Somerset and Warwickshire - who also meet on Tuesday evening at Edgbaston - began Saturday each having a chance to progress to the last eight, but after the weekend result at Worcester, the contest at Birmingham will also be a "winner takes all" contest.
If the weather intervenes at Cardiff, it is unlikely to help Glamorgan's quest as one point for an abandonment or a "no result", will not allow the Welsh county to move above Durham, or improve their net run rate which is currently inferior to Essex's. The latter meet Surrey in their final game in the South Group and only a defeat of monumental proportions for Essex in a full 20 overs match would help Glamorgan's cause if the match at the SWALEC Stadium is abandoned. But even this mathematical possibility could also get nullified if Middlesex defeat leaders Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl and move into third spot in the South Group with 12 points.
