Sunday, June 24, 2012

T20: The Story So Far at Glamorgan

Glamorgan should be halfway through their T20 programme by now.

Instead only 4 of the 10 games have been completed, the fifth, versus Worcestershire last Wednesday, was, of course, postponed due to the tragic death of Tom Maynard, which has hit the club hard (many at Glamorgan viewed him as only being on loan to Surrey).

Glamorgan's record so far is a mixed one. Northants away was abandoned after a start and not a ball was bowled in last night's home encounter with Gloucestershire. The home win over Warwickshire Bears was secured by ensuring that the Dragons stayed on top of the DL target whilst the storm clouds gathered, and the only defeat came painfully at Taunton on Friday with 1 ball to go. James Hildreth hit a brilliant 100 to take the game away from Glamorgan as they looked for most of the game likely to record their first T20 win away to Somerset for 8 seasons.

There's little doubt this season that the Welsh Dragons (as they have ridiculously been branded) have made T20 their number 1 priority. Shaun Marsh has been brought in to join fellow Australian Marcus North, and experienced South African Martin van Jaarsveld has signed as a non-overseas on a short term deal. When you factor in two more Australians, captain Jim Allenby, and Stewart Walters, together with another South African Chris Cooke, the Dragons have a distinctly un Welsh feel.

But with Finals Day in Cardiff in August, and the ever increasing emphasis, financially and otherwise, on T20, you can understand the thinking. Each home match has a theme, Seventies Disco, Eighties Party and so on. Me? I'd rather watch the game.

Sadly the summer of 2012 has been unkind, and the wet weather will doubtless make a dent in club coffers, not only in gate money but also in terms of food and drink income. Nonetheless, with the overseas sprinkling of batsmen, together with England veterans, Simon Jones, who's bowling pretty well, and the very veteran Robert Croft, still spinning away with craft and guile at 42, Glamorgan could, with a decent tail wind, have some hope of reaching the quarter finals from the Mid/West/Wales group, and then they're only one match away from Finals Day on home soil.

And, after the emotions of this last week, what would be more fitting than a final between Glamorgan and Surrey? 



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