A fine unbeaten 74 from Jim Allenby, a superb 47* from just 28 balls by Ben Wright, plus a four-wicket return for Michael Hogan saw Glamorgan to a thrilling 31- run victory against the Hampshire Royals in their YB40 semi-final at the Ageas Bowl as the Welsh county defeated the reigning champions in the 40-overs competition to secure their first one-day final at Lord's since 2000, and all whilst wearing the retro-shirts in the Club's trademark blue and yellow colours in which they won the 1993 Sunday League title under Hugh Morris' captaincy.
Sohail Tanvir opened the bowling with Gareth Rees posting the day's first boundary as he drilled the Pakistani through extra cover for four, whilst Dimitri Mascarenhas - in his final home game at the Ageas Bowl - began with a tight over at the Pavilion End before Tanvir completed a maiden. Wallace then swept Mascarenhas for four before clipping Tanvir to mid-wicket for three. The Glamorgan captain then unfurled a superb cover drive for four against Mascarenhas but next over he miscued a drive against Tanvir and skied a catch to mid-on.
With the total on 30/1 Chris Cooke joined Rees as Chris Wood replaced Tanvir at the end of the powerplays. The left-armer also kept things tight but Rees drilled Mascarenhas straight for four before Liam Dawson entered the fray. But with the total on 60, it was Wood who took the second wicket as Rees was caught behind by Adam Wheater who was standing up to the bowler.
Jim Allenby had joined Cooke by the time the South African-born batsman crisply on-drove Wood for four, and the pair scampered a series of singles before Allenby greeted Danny Briggs by drilling him to mid-wicket for four as Glamorgan reached 92/2 at the halfway stage. Cooke then pulled Briggs for six but was trapped leg before next ball. His departure saw Murray Goodwin join Allenby and the pair continued the steady accumulation with Allenby nurdling Briggs for four to the vacant third man position.
Goodwin also swept both Dawson and Briggs for four before Allenby survived a sharp chance behind the wicket in Dawson's final over. He then celebrated his good fortune by sweeping Briggs for four, and in the next over Goodwin also found the ropes as he glanced Mascarenhas for four to bring up the fifty stand. But Tanvir then returned at the Pavilion End and removed Goodwin who scooped a drive into mid-wicket's hands.
150/4 saw Ben Wright join Allenby and he began with a deft nurdle for three against Briggs, before Allenby swept the spinner behind square for another four. Wright, having twice survived a run out chance with Jimmy Adams each time missing the stumps, had lofted Briggs high over long-on for a massive six before biffing Wood through mid-off for four as Glamorgan took the powerplay.
This was followed by another six and then successive fours by Wright before Allenby completed his fifty from 61 balls. He then clipped Tanvir for four to long-leg before swatting a full toss from Wood over point for another boundary, followed by a pair of legside fours as the furious tempo continued. Wright then steered Tanvir to backward point before Allenby drilled the Pakistani to long-off for four as Glamorgan ended on 234/4 with 57runs having come from the powerplay overs with the fifth wicket stand having added 84 in 8.2 overs.
Michael Hogan took the new ball and was clipped to long-leg by James Vince before Allenby at the Pavilion End conceded just two singles in a frugal opening over. Michael Roberts then pulled Hogan for four, before cover driving him for a second boundary in the over. He then survived a smart stumping chance as he nearly overbalanced as Wallace removed the bails in a flash in Allenby's second over.
Roberts off-drove Hogan for a third four before Vince drove Graham Wagg through the covers, followed by a sweetly-timed pick-up behind square for another four as the South Coast side reached 41/0 at the end of the powerplays. But five runs later Allenby made the breakthrough as he bowled Vince in the tenth over before next over having Roberts well caught at deep mid-wicket by Cooke as Hampshire stuttered to 49/2 with Allenby ending with the splendid figures of 8-1-18-2.
Dean Cosker then entered the attack and almost had Neil McKenzie stumped in his second over as Wallace's swift gloves were in action again, shortly before Andrew Salter entered the fray as Glamorgan opted for an all-spin attack. Adams responded by sweeping Salter for four but a mix-up in calling in Cosker's next over saw McKenzie run out at the bowlers end as Wallace returned a lightning sharp return to the spinner.
With Sean Ervine as his new partner, and the total on 73/3, Adams responded by drilling Salter for four but for the next few overs the home batsmen were restricted to a series of singles by the accurate spinners. In a bid to up the tempo, Ervine reverse swept Salter for four before pulling him to mid-wicket as the 100 came up eventually in the 24th over.
Simon Jones then came into the attack in the 26th over and yielded just four runs as Salter switched to the Northern End. With their total on 114/3 in the 29th over, Hampshire took their batting with Adams harpooning Salter to mid-wicket for four, followed by a six over long-off. Ervine followed suit by off-driving Jones for four as the Royals entered the last ten overs needing 103 to win.
Wagg returned at the Northern End as Adams completed his fifty from 73 balls before Hogan returned at the Pavilion End. Ervine then used the long handle to bludgeon a four to mid-wicket before the powerplays ended with Hampshire needing 88 from the last eight overs. Cosker duly returned at the Northern End and was struck for successive fours by Ervine before being lofted to mid-wicket for three by Adams.
But with the total on 159 Adams miscued a drive against Hogan with the bowler gleefully pouching the skier. Ervine then clipped Hogan for four before lofting Cosker for six to reach his fifty from 49 balls as the equation became 61 off 30 balls. But their hopes were dealt a massive blow as Ervine then drilled Hogan into Wagg's hands at long-on before Adam Wheater swatted Wagg into Cosker's hands at backward point as the Royals needed 46 off the last eighteen balls
Dawson lofted Hogan for four before being caught by Wright as he miscued another drive with Hants on 195/7 and 40 needed off the last twelve balls. Wagg's last over yielded just five runs whilst Hogan's last only led to three runs as Glamorgan won by 31 runs to inflict the first defeat on the Royals at the Ageas Bowl in one-day cricket since August 14th, 2012 and record their first victory st the ground since August 15th, 2004
