A brilliant century from just 48 deliveries by Chris Cooke could not prevent Glamorgan 2nd XI from losing the second of their Twenty20 matches against Somerset at Taunton by seventeen runs, as their programme of matches in the Second Eleven Twenty20 competition began today under sunny skies at the West Country ground.
His efforts came in the second of two back-to-back games and after Somerset had posted a formidable 208/5 after opting to bat first. Tom Abell and Devon Conway each made half-centuries with the latter making 56 including 6 fours and 3 sixes from just 22 balls.
Glamorgan then lost David Lloyd in the first over before Cooke started his onslaught striking 6 fours and 2 sixes himself as Glamorgan raced to 64 in the sixth over. The spin of Jack Leach and Max Waller briefly caused problems at the other end as Gareth Rees, Tom Lancefield and Nick James all departed to the home spinners, but Cooke continued to pepper the boundary boards as he completed a magnificent century from just 48 balls having struck a dozen fours and 4 sixes.
He departed on reaching three figures, before Alex Jones continued Glamorgan's spirited chase, striking 24 off eleven balls before being dismissed in the penultimate over. His departure heralded the end of the run-chase as the task of making eighteen from the final over proved too much as the Welsh county were dismissed for 191 in the final over to give Somerset victory by seventeen runs.
In the first match, Cooke had departed for a first ball duck as Glamorgan lost wickets to the first two balls as Gareth Rees and Cooke were each dismissed by Adam Dibble. David Lloyd (40) mounted a recovery mission with Tom Lancefield (29) and Nick James (24), whilst Ruardhri Smith (27*) weighed in with some useful late blows as Glamorgan ended on 141 with Dibble taking 4/24 from his four overs.
Nick James then struck an early blow for the visitors as he dismissed Tom Abell with his fourth delivery and just three runs on the board. Lancefield also had a couple of lbw appeals upheld as Somerset reached 70/4 at the halfway stage.
Schoolboy Sam Pearce from Bridgend Town CC then marked his 2nd XI debut by claiming the valuable wicket of James Burke as Somerset entered the last five overs requiring 48 from the last five overs. Some lusty blows from James Regan, who struck two sixes, and captain Max Waller reduced the equation to 11 from the last two overs. Pearce then removed both Regan and Dibble in the penultimate over, before Waller and Jack Leach scrambled the winning runs with a balls to spare.
Glamorgan 2nd XI will play the second of these back-to-back matches later this week at Panteg as they meet Worcestershire for two matches on Thursday, June 13th followed by back-to-back contests on Wednesday, June 19th against Warwickshire, and again on Tuesday, June 25th against Gloucestershire.
