Solanki sparkles for Royals

Vikram Solanki

Vikram Solanki hit an unbeaten half-century as Worcestershire Royals marked Simon Jones' return from injury by beating his former county Glamorgan Dragons by seven wickets in a rain-reduced Friends Provident Trophy match at New Road.

Skipper Solanki made 88 not out, containing five sixes and two fours, to enable his side to move off the foot of the south west division table with their first win of the season.

Jones, making his home debut after being sidelined since the opening day of the campaign with a neck problem, took 1-43 to play his part in restricting his old employers to 185 for four.

It was a tally Worcestershire safely eclipsed with nine balls to spare thanks largely to Solanki and Ben Smith, who put on 90 in 13 overs for the third wicket.

David Hemp improvises for the Dragons

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An early morning thunderstorm had left the ground saturated, but extensive mopping-up operations enabled the 28-overs-a-side game to finally get under way at 3.45pm.

A large area of surface water in front of the Basil D'Oliveira Stand had to be soaked up and the boundaries shortened before Glamorgan's openers Matthew Wood and David Hemp were able to get into the middle after Worcestershire had won the toss.

Both batsmen made steady progress before spinner Gareth Batty had Wood caught running in from cover by Moeen Ali for 24.

He had put on 70 in 14 overs with Hemp, whose partnership with Michael Powell was rapidly over for the addition of just one more run.

Medium-pacer Gareth Andrew ended their brief encounter when he produced a full-length delivery which accounted for Powell who failed to get off the mark.

Hemp and Tom Maynard, however, pushed Glamorgan past the three-figure mark before Worcestershire were able to make another breakthrough.

Hemp, on 47, was bowled leg stump by 19 year-old pace prospect Mehraj Ahmed - who was drafted in for his first team debut due to a hamstring injury to Kabir Ali.

Simon Jones made his home debut © Getty Images

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Glamorgan, however, were boosted by Tom Maynard and James Dalrymple, who went on to figure in a valuable stand worth 50 in six overs.

It ended when Maynard, with a top score of 48 which included three sixes and three fours off 29 balls, hoisted Jones to Ben Smith at long-on.

Dalrymple was undefeated on 44 which included two sixes and two fours off 31 deliveries.

Worcestershire, again without Graeme Hick who is recovering from a minor elbow operation, experienced an early scare when Solanki and Steve Davies launched their victory chase.

Davies had only made his way to five when he survived an easy chance to Jason Gillespie at third man off Harrison.

The Australian's lapse, however, did not prove expensive thanks to Harrison who struck shortly afterwards to have Davies caught at midwicket by Ben Wright for 11.

After Moeen Ali drove powerfully to Wright at cover point off Alex Wharf for four, Worcestershire were looking to Solanki and Smith to give them a timely boost.

They responded in style with Solanki, who was close to being caught by a diving Wharf while on 46, completing his half-century off 53 balls with two sixes and a four.

Smith, who notched 41 off 34 balls, was eventually bowled by Wharf to leave Solanki and Stephen Moore (30 not out) to condemn Glamorgan to their first defeat of the season.