Glamorgan win clash of strugglers

Ben Wright's 55 not out rescued Glamorgan from 54 for four against Gloucestershire and secured victory

Ben Wright and Tom Maynard guided Glamorgan to only their second win in 10 Twenty20 Cup group matches in today’s battle of the Midlands/Wales/West whipping boys.

Gloucestershire have only won two matches themselves and failed to test their opponents sufficiently with 148 for seven after winning the toss at Bristol - David Brown top-scoring with 56 off 35 balls.

In reply, the Dragons slumped to 54 for four before Wright (55 not out) and Maynard (49no) produced an unbroken stand of 97 to see their side home by six wickets with nine balls to spare.

There were 31 needed off the last four overs and Wright settled any doubts about the result with successive straight sixes off Gemaal Hussain - the hosts had chosen to rest first-choice strike bowlers Jon Lewis and Steve Kirby.

Wright reached his half-century off 35 balls, with two sixes and two fours, while Maynard faced 30 deliveries and hit three sixes and two fours. They produced by far the best batting of a low-key match.

The Glamorgan innings had started badly when Gareth Rees fell for a second ball duck. Mark Wallace, Jamie Dalrymple and Mike Powell followed cheaply and the game looked in the balance.

Gloucestershire had done well to get to 148 after a poor start which saw them 27 for two at the end of the six-over fielding restrictions - openers Hamish Marshall and Kadeer Ali fell to poorly executed shots.

Dean Cosker had Alex Gidman stumped off his first ball of the match at the start of the eighth over, but then Brown and Franklin launched a rescue act.

Brown hit straight sixes off Robert Croft and Ryan Watkins and also cleared the midwicket rope off Dalrymple before being caught at mid-off with the total on 114 - having hit three sixes and two fours.

Franklin was dropped on 35 off Alex Wharf, whose frustration increased when the New Zealand all-rounder hit him for six over long-on.

The next ball saw Franklin caught at square-leg, having faced 38 balls and hit two fours.

Watkins was the most successful Glamorgan bowler with 3-23 from his four overs, while James Harris conceded only 22 from his four and picked up the wicket of Richard Dawson.