Glamorgan’s South African contingent were to the fore on Tuesday evening as the Welsh county toppled Gloucestershire by 25 runs to move top of the South Group in the T20 Blast.

Jacques Rudolph and David Miller both made half-centuries as Glamorgan posted 176-5 while batting first on a used pitch from the recent Women’s World Cup.

In response, the home side lost wickets regularly throughout their innings to fall 25 runs short, with Michael Klinger top scoring as they relinquished their undefeated start to the competition.

Marchant de Lange celebrates a Gloucestershire wicket (image source: Harry Trump/Getty Images)

Miller smashes half-century on debut as Glamorgan post daunting total

Having been inserted by Klinger, Glamorgan didn’t make the best of starts to their innings with Aneurin Donald removed in the 3rd over by David Payne to leave them 10-1.

Colin Ingram, who has already made two centuries in the competition this season, was the prize wicket for Gloucestershire and offered them a relatively easy chance right at the start of his knock. While facing Matt Taylor on one, Ingram smashed the ball straight to the bowler’s brother on the short boundary on for Jack to inexplicably drop it cold.

Fortunately for the home side, the drop didn’t cost them too many runs, with the dangerous Ingram dismissed in the 6th over for 18 thanks to a caught and bowled effort from Sri Lankan international Thisara Perera.

That wicket brought current Protea star David Miller to the crease, and after making a watchful start to his knock, the left-hander took a real liking to Jack Taylor, smashing him straight down the ground for two successive sixes in the 8th over.

Miller and Rudolph continued to take the attack to the Gloucestershire bowlers, with both batsmen reaching half-centuries during a dominant middle period for the away side.

However, both batsmen failed to push on and both were dismissed in the moments after reaching their 50’s. Miller was first to fall, miss-timing a lofted shot off of Payne, with his skipper then falling two overs later when he was caught for 51 by Benny Howell off the bowling of the impressive Perera.

Chris Cooke came and went for just six, but Glamorgan enjoyed the best of the final few overs of their innings, with an unbroken stand of 34 between Craig Meschede (14) and Graeme Wagg pushing them up to 176-5 from their 20 overs.

Klinger finds form with half-century, but Gloucester fall well short

If Gloucestershire were going to reach the above-average total, a strong start to their chase was needed, but unfortunately that didn’t really materialise and too much was left to the back-end as they fell 25 runs short.

One of their big hitters, Phil Mustard, was knocked over without doing any damage to the scorecard, making just three before he was bowled by Michael Hogan in the 3rd over. 

Klinger then watched on as Ian Cockbain took the attack to the bowlers, plundering four boundaries in his quickfire 25 before he was caught on the boundary, with George Hankins falling for a duck to Ingram in the following over. 

The Gloucestershire captain hit four huge sixes on his way to half-century, and looked to be setting up a successful chase, before he chopped-on a delivery by Timm van der Gugten the ball after reaching his milestone. 

Jack Taylor threatened to do something special, but once he and Perera fell in the space of six balls the chase had no chance of being successful and they eventually fell 25 short.

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