Colin Ingram top-scored with an unbeaten 81 from just 44 balls, but opposition captain Luke Wright trumped his efforts with 88 from 53 balls as he shared a 123-run stand for the second wicket with Laurie Evans (65*) as the Sussex Sharks won by eight wickets in their Vitality Blast game at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.
To borrow a certain phrase from football, Glamorgan are coming home and after their record-breaking victory on Friday against Hampshire, they fielded an unchanged team, with Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh opening the bat after Colin Ingram won the toss and opted to bat first on the same wicket that was used in the International Twenty20 on Friday night.
Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer initially shared the bowling duties with the latter being straight driven and late cut for a pair of fours by Khawaja. Afghani spinner Rashid Khan though was soon into the attack and was cut for four by Marsh. But Archer then switched to the River End and with the total on 26 removed the Australian who pulled the ball straight to Laurie Evans at deep square-leg.
Colin Ingram announced his arrival by punching Archer off the back foot through extra cover before Khawaja launched Robinson over extra cover for four, followed next ball by a pull for another four. But he holed out at deep extra-cover in Will Beer’s opening over as the Welsh county lost their second wicket on 49.
Khawaja’s departure saw Aneurin Donald join Ingram but nine runs later, Donald holed out at mid-off as he looked to despatch Rashid Khan into the River Taff. David Lloyd began with a series of singles before Ingram edged Beer to third man for four followed by a massive sweep for six.. He then on-drove Danny Briggs for six before Lloyd lofted Khan for a straight six followed by a cut for four against Wiese to bring up the fifty stand from 32 balls.
Lloyd then upper-cut s no ball from Archer for four before Ingram did the same to Wiese to complete a 30-ball fifty. He celebrated by plonking Wiese into the Castell Howell Stand for a straight six. but in Khan’s next over, and with the total on 135, Lloyd was bowled for 33. Chris Cooke became Ingram’s new partner, with the white ball captain lofting Robinson for six before drilling him through extra-cover for four.
In the penultimate over from Archer, Ingram top-edged a pull for four before Cooke pulled the paceman for six. Ingram survived a chance in the last over as Briggs failed to pouch a skier, with Cooke smearing the final ball for four as Glamorgan ended on 173 with Ingram unbeaten on 81.
Luke Wright and Phil Salt began the Sharks response with the latter pulling Andrew Salter’s first ball for four before the former inside-edged and square-cut Timm van der Gugten for a trio of fours. But with the total on 27, Salt edged a pull against Hogan into Cooke’s gloves as Laurie Evans joined Wright who lofted Graham Wagg for a straight six followed next ball by an on-drive for four.
Wright found the ropes again as he cut van der Gugten as the Sharks reached 50 in the sixth over. Evans then steered Craig Meschede to third man for four before Wright drilled Meschede for a straight six en route to fifty from 33 balls. He then straight drove Ingram for four whilst Evans cut the South African for four followed by a ramped four and a rasping cover drive against Meschede.
Wright greeted the return of Salter by pulling him for four before Evans pulled Wagg for four as the task became 57 from 49 balls. Wright then straight drove Ingram with Marsh sustaining what appeared to be a shoulder injury diving in an attempt to stop the ball as Kiran Carlson came onto the field as his substitute.
Wagg then bowled a frugal third over, not conceding a boundary as the equation became 42 off 30 balls,. After a series of singles, Wright launched Ingram over long-on for six before pulling Wagg for six over square-leg. But next ball he lofted the left-armer to deep mid-wicket where Donald held the skier as Wright departed for 88.
Tom Bruce duly joined Evans with 23 needed from 18 balls, as Evans on-drove Hogan for a single to complete a 42-ball fifty before twice swatting him for six to mid-wicket and backward square-leg. Bruce then pulled van der Gugten before clipping him behind square for another four as the Sharks won with eight balls to spare.