An unbeaten 75 from Ben Wright, who shared a spirited eighth wicket stand of 89 in just 9.1 overs with Dean Cosker could not prevent Glamorgan from going down to a three-wicket defeat to Somerset in their Yorkshire Bank40 match at Taunton.
The Welsh county - who began the game in fourth spot in the Group C table - made two changes to their line-up which lost to Gloucestershire by seven runs in a high-scoring encounter a fortnight ago at Cardiff with Michael Hogan and Ben Wright replacing Will Owen and Mike Reed. However, it was the usual opening pairing of Will Bragg and Mark Wallace who began after being put in to bat against Somerset for whom South African batsman Dean Elgar made his one-day bow, whilst England batsman Nick Compton also returned to county action.
Peter Trego opened the bowling from the New Pavilion End and his second delivery was nonchalantly despatched off the back foot through backward point for four by Bragg. Wallace did the same for three in Steve Kirby's second over. Bragg then upper cut a short ball from Trego to the boundary fence at third man before steering the all-rounder again through backward point. Wallace also played some inventive strokes, chipping the ball inside-out between fielders, but in the seventh over, and Craig Meschede's first, he was adjudged caught behind by Alex Barrow as he tried to paddle a ball behind square-leg.
Jamie Overton then replaced Kirby at the Old Pavilion End and claimed two wickets, both with short balls, in his opening over as firstly Chris Cooke hooked his opening delivery to Elgar at deep square-leg, before Bragg steered a ball into Trego's hands at third man as Glamorgan slipped to 42/3. Jim Allenby and Marcus North then took the score to 62 before Meschede struck again as Barrow - the third choice keeper - took a fine catch, diving wide to his right to hold onto an edge from Allenby.
North, who was then joined by Goodwin, on-drove Meschede for four before the leg-spin of Max Waller was introduced, with the Australian drilling the twirler through mid-off for four, before deftly sweeping him to the fine-leg boundary. Goodwin then hoisted a full toss from Elgar to the boards at mid-wicket but next over he pulled a short ball from Waller straight to James Hildreth at short mid-wicket with the total on 97.
Wright then joined North with the pair working the ball around for singles until the former lofted Elgar to mid-wicket for four. After another sequence of singles, North greeted the return of Overton by off-driving to the ropes before Wright deftly guided the youngster to third man. But in the next over, the seamer gained reward as North edged a rising delivery to Hildreth in the gully as Glamorgan lost their sixth wicket for 136.
Seven runs later Graham Wagg was run out by Waller after aborting a quick single to the fielder at short extra cover as the Glamorgan all-rounder failed to regain his ground. With Dean Cosker as his new partner, Wright swatted Overton over the head of slip before Kirby returned to the attack and was struck by Cosker to long-on for four and then next ball over square-leg for six. The jaunty Cosker then lofted Overton for six over long-on before Wright steered Kirby inside-out over extra cover for four as Glamorgan took their powerplay on 180/7 after 34 overs.
Wright responded by harpooning Meschede over extra cover with Cosker also gleefully pulling the bowler for another boundary to square-leg to bring up the fifty stand. Shortly afterwards, Wright completed his fifty from 43 balls with a deft steer to third man against Kirby before celebrating by caressing Elgar sweetly through extra cover for four. The pair continued to scamper one's and two's, before Cosker glanced Meschede to fine-leg for four before Wright did the same to square-leg.
But with the total on 232 their stand ended as in the penultimate over, Cosker drilled Elgar to mid-on and departed for 37. Two runs later Hogan holed out at long-on before Simon Jones and Wright took the total to 245/9 at the end of the 40th over, with Wright ending unbeaten on 75 from just 57 balls after hoisting Kirby for successive fours over extra cover and to long-on in the closing over.
Trego then launched Somerset's reply by driving Wagg's first ball to long-off for four before scything the fourth ball over backward point for another boundary. He then nearly drilled Hogan to North at mid-off before Marcus Trescothick clipped Wagg to fine-leg before drilling successive balls to the ropes as the openers made a brisk start. Trego then hoisted a short ball over fine-leg for four from Wagg, but three balls later, and with the total on 41, Trescothick miscued a drive and holed out to North at mid-off.
Jones then entered the attack and with his fifth ball, he had Compton caught at slip by Allenby as he edged a drive against the paceman, who next over nearly claimed a second as a ball from Trego cannoned off his body and onto the stumps without dislodging a bail. He remained in the action as next over, Jones nearly scooped a low catch at short fine-leg as Trego scooped Cosker.
With Elgar as his new partner, Trego continued his own enigmatic variations by bludgeoning Cosker over extra cover for four and then to the square-leg ropes next delivery as he tried to re-ignite the run chase. A cover driven four next over against Cosker saw Trego complete his fifty from 43 balls before Elgar, who had previously compiled a series of singles, steered Allenby over cover and mid-off for a pair of assertive fours. He remained on song next over as he clipped Wagg to backward square-leg for four before pulling Jones for four.
Trego then lofted Allenby for six over long-on before flaying him through backward point for another four, but North ended his flamboyant innings as with the total on 142, he bowled him with his second delivery. With Hildreth as his new partner, Elgar completed a 60-ball fifty but with the total on 154 he lofted Cosker into Wright's hands at deep mid-wicket. This though was the first of three wickets in eight balls for the canny spinner as he had Hildreth l.b.w. before bowling Arul Suppiah as Somerset nosedived to 161/6 in the 30th over.
Somerset then took their powerplay as Jones returned to the attack with Meschede striking the paceman for three fours and two sixes in successive balls as the equation was dramatically reduced to 48 off 42 balls. The Somerset seventh wicket pair then scrambled a series of singles against Hogan before Wagg bowled Barrow with Somerset on 203/7.
But Waller then struck both Hogan and Wagg for fours through the offside before Meschede added another to his tally against Hogan as the equation became 26 in the last four overs. Waller then carved Wagg through backward point for four as together with some singles the task became 17 from the last three overs. Waller then on-drove Jones for four as the equation was reduced to 7 runs for the last two overs.
Hogan returned and saw Meschede nearly superbly caught at deep backward square by Wright, but he could not quite hold onto the ball as it slithered away for three runs, and an inside edge for four next ball sealed victory for Somerset with ten balls to spare leaving Meschede unbeaten on 40.
