A brutal and career-best 101 by Colin Ingram guided Glamorgan to 184/5 after being put in to bat by the Essex Eagles in their final group game in the NatWest T20 Blast at Chelmsford before a torrential rainstorm during the interval caused the match to be abandoned.
After securing a home quarter-final in the rain last night at Hove, there’s still plenty to play for tonight at Chelmsford with the Essex Eagles, currently in fourth spot, looking to cement their place in the last eight of the competition. A win for Glamorgan plus a victory for Middlesex over current leaders Gloucestershire at Bristol could see the Welsh county finish top of the group and a quarter-final against the team finishing fourth in the North Group at The SSE SWALEC. Whatever happens tonight at Chelmsford, a Gloucestershire victory at Bristol would mean that Glamorgan play the third-placed team in the North Group.
Glamorgan, who are searching for their first win in the competition at Chelmsford since June 2010 made one change to their line-up from last night at Hove with Nick Selman playing instead of Michael Hogan who is being rested. David Lloyd and Mark Wallace opened the batting, with the former running David Masters to third man for four before pulling the veteran to square-leg for another early four. He then nurdled Matt Quinn to the third man ropes in the Kiwi’s opening over as well as dispatching him for four through mid-off, followed by a pick –up for six over backward square-leg for six.
Lloyd’s cameo ended in the third over as he got a leading edge to a drive and spooned the ball to cover. He was replaced by Colin Ingram who began with a firm flick for four to fine-leg against Graham Napier, followed by a lusty swipe for a straight six before drizzle started to fall over the ground. It did not perturb Ingram who cut both Ryan ten Doeschate and Ravi Bopara for four, before pulling the latter for six.
With the score on 77, Wallace was bowled by Dan Lawrence as he swept a ball onto his stumps with Aneurin Donald replacing him and striking his first two balls for four to third man and long-on. But with the total on 92 he harpooned ten Doeschate into Bopara’s hands at deep mid-wicket. Jacques Rudolph duly joined Ingram and began by lofting Lawrence over long-off for six.
Rudolph pulled Bopara for four before Ingram completed his fifty from 38 balls. Rudolph also pulled Quinn for four before being dropped by Jesse Ryder as he reverse pulled Quinn. Ingram also swatted ten Doeschate for six over square-leg before also being dropped at long-off.
Ingram then went into over-drive on the ground where on Tuesday he posted a century in the One-Day Cup biffing Napier over the head of extra cover for four followed by a huge six over square-leg plus a cover drive for four against the same bowler. He then turned his attention to Quinn who disappeared over long-off for six before Rudolph was caught at square-leg with the total on 163.
Ingram responded by swatting Quinn over long-on for another six before straight-driving Napier for six before reaching his maiden Twenty20 hundred from 55 balls by cover-driving the same bowler. He was bowled next ball as Glamorgan ended on 184/5. As the players departed the field, the drizzle turned into heavy rain as the covers and protective sheets were brought out. The rain ended around 8.30pm with the umpires deciding to look again at 9pm but with the precipitation still falling the game was called off, leaving the Eagles to celebrate qualification for the quarter-final.