Cosker and Rees star for Glamorgan

Glamorgan 155 for 6 beat Gloucestershire 154 for 8 by four wickets
Scorecard

Spinner Dean Cosker claimed four wickets and opener Gareth Rees struck his third-consecutive half-century as Glamorgan Dragons beat Gloucestershire Gladiators by four wickets in their Clydesdale Bank 40 Group C clash at the Swalec Stadium.

Glamorgan restricted the Gladiators to 154 for 8 in their 40 overs on a slow wicket and the home side knocked off the runs required with 10 balls to spare to record their second win in the competition.

Rees was the mainstay of the innings, striking his 50 from 84 balls with just three fours. He lost partners at regular intervals including skipper Alviro Petersen, who had his off stump pegged back by David Payne, and Jim Allenby, who was adjudged leg before reverse sweeping off spinner Jack Taylor.

Glamorgan then lost Stewart Walters (4) and Ben Wright (9) as they were both caught at midwicket. But an attacking innings from Graham Wagg, who scored 22 from 23 balls, helped Glamorgan towards their target before being the victim of a brilliant catch by Kevin O'Brien. Rees, meanwhile, ended unbeaten on 59 from 100 balls.

Despite winning the toss and opting to bat the Gladiators found themselves on the back foot as they were reduced to 20 for two earlier in the day.

They got off to a poor start when opener Ian Cockbain was run out from the final ball of the first over at the bowler's end by a brilliant throw from Rees with the total still on nought.

Rees was in the action again when he caught Ed Young, who miscued an attempted drive off James Harris to mid-on, and Will Owen then trapped Alex Gidman leg before with a well-disguised slower ball.

From 44 for 3 the Gladiators slipped to 63 for 4 when Cosker claimed his first victim in the 20th over by bowling Kane Williamson. Much then depended on new signing O'Brien, who scored the fastest-ever World Cup century against England in March, but the Irishman lasted only four balls before he too was bowled by Cosker.

Cosker's purple patch continued when Chris Taylor holed out to Walters to leave the Gladiators on 84 for 6.

Gloucestershire were finding runs hard to come by and they only reached the 100-mark at the end of the 33rd over, and the first boundary for 26 overs came when Jon Batty swept Cosker for four.

But the spinner had his revenge in his next over by trapping Batty lbw leg to finish with four for 30 from his eight overs. Harris then got rid of Richard Dawson late on in the Gloucestershire innings and their total never looked like being enough.