Glamorgan v Nottinghamshire, YB40 Final, Lords, 21/09/13

We came. We sang. We lost.

 

We dared to dream that it would be 3rd time lucky, but it wasn't. After 1977's Gillette Cup Final defeat (which I didn't see) and the loss to Gloucestershire in the B&H in 2000 (which I did), this was another enjoyable, but ultimately fruitless, pilgrimage to the Mecca of cricket that is Lord's.

 

The alarm went off at 04.30, but I didn't sleep much anyway. By 05.15 we were on our way to Cardiff, and by 06.30 on our way by coach up the M4.

 

On a gloomy autumn day, the Welsh contingent were delighted to hear that Mark Wallace had won the toss and he didn't hesitate in putting Nottinghamshire in.

 

We bowled well for the most part, Simon Jones and Andrew Salter in particular, but the last 10 overs yielded around 90 runs, giving the Trent Bridge outfit an above par 244.

A gloomy day in NW8 as Glamorgan field first

 

Come our turn to bat, needing a run a ball, someone had to put down a 70 or 80 to hold the innings together. Chris Cooke came closest with 46, his partnership with Allenby took us past 100 with 8 wickets in the hutch, Gareth Rees tonked well for a while, but Samit Patel's removal of Cooke, Allenby and Murray Goodwin ripped the heart out of the daffodil effort.

 

So it was a crushing 87 run defeat in the end, a harsh reflection on the competitiveness of much of the game. Context is everything. Notts had 9 International cricketers in their side (including Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann 'on permit' from England), Glam had 2, and veterans at that. Glamorgan were also without their overseas player as well, disgracefully back in Australia weeks ago.

 

 



"He only plays in the final". Stuart Broad cops it from the Glamorgan fans.

Glamorgan's one day cricket has improved this season and we need to build from here. On the way to the final, we've beaten Somerset, Middlesex, Yorkshire and Hampshire amongst others. In next year's 9 strong YB50 group the top 4 qualify for quarter finals...it'll be tough...but we're going in the right direction...at last.

 

Glamorgan put up a fight, but ultimately slide to defeat during the afternoon.

 

 

Cricinfo scorecard 

Cricinfo report

Cricinfo blog

 

England v Australia, 4th ODI, SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff, 14/09/13

It was another outstanding day of One Day International cricket at Cardiff's SWALEC Stadium on Saturday as England levelled the series at 1-1 with a hard fought and deserved victory by 3 wickets over Australia.

 

Personally, I thought that the real winners on the day were the staff at Glamorgan, both the ground staff who made the ground look immaculate even after Friday's heavy rain, and the ticketing and stewarding staff who did great jobs under lots of pressure. It all bodes well for Glamorgan to have more international cricket after the Ashes Test of 2015.



Clear sunny skies before the game

Inserted by England, Australia found the pace and movement of the pitch a little difficult as Steven Finn and Boyd Rankin bowled well. Ben Stokes too bowled the best he has in an England shirt. Only George Bailey with 87 really shone for the Aussies.

 

Australia toil against the pace and bounce of Finn and Rankin

 

 

Chasing 228 to win, England were in all sorts of trouble as Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and Joe Root fell victims to a Clink Mckay hatrick. Michael Carberry and skipper Eoin Morgan steadied the ship with 50s, before Man of the Match Josh Buttler smashed his way to an England victory with 65 not out including 2 huge sixes into the excited crowd.

 

Scorecard

 

Report

NCR Photography (Sports & Events) over at flickr

Do get yourselves over to Neil Roberts' NCR Photography website for some great, professionally taken photographs which are available for purchase. (Including plenty of the mighty Ebbw Vale RFC).

 

I'd like a bigger camera myself, but if I put one of those long lens ones down my jeans at a gig I might get some odd looks.

Go here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncrobo/