Lights go out on Middlesex

Glamorgan 199 for 4 beat Middlesex 137 by 45 runs (D/L method)
Scorecard

Glamorgan Dragons opened their Friends Life t20 campaign with a comprehensive victory over Middlesex Panthers in Cardiff but not before the match was thrown into disarray by floodlight failure.

The Dragons won the toss and proceeded to score 199 for 4 - their highest ever t20 score at the ground - with skipper Alviro Petersen leading the way with 72 from 48 balls. In reply the Panthers made a good start but lost wickets at regular intervals to reach 121 for 6 after 14.5 overs when three of the four floodlights went out.

After a delay of nearly 40 minutes, the players and umpires - Nigel Cowley and John Steele - appeared to have shaken hands. But the floodlights came back on and play resumed at 10.40pm with the Panthers requiring another 62 for victory from 3.1 overs.

They only managed 16 of them as they were bowled out for 137 handing Glamorgan the victory by 45 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis Method.

The Dragons got off to a solid start in front of a crowd of around 5,000 as opening pair Mark Cosgrove and Alviro Petersen putting on 63 for the opening wicket in 7.1 overs. The Panthers hit back when offspinner Paul Stirling had Cosgrove stumped from his first ball.

But despite the loss of Cosgrove, Petersen and Jim Allenby kept the scoring rate up. Petersen struck his first T20 half-century for Glamorgan from 37 balls and with Allenby put on 82 from 55 balls before the latter holed out to long-off.

Petersen also holed out to cover in the next over, but the big hitting continued apace with Chris Cooke, a 25-year-old debutant, striking three straight sixes off Steven Crook as 23 came off the penultimate over.

Glamorgan then gambled by giving offspinner Robert Croft the opening over, but it failed to come off as the veteran was struck for 16 - Stirling plundering 15 of them. But Stirling went for one big shot too many and was caught at mid-on by Allenby attempting to clear the rope.

The Panthers continued to keep up with the asking rate and had reached 60-0 after six overs, but the Dragons hit back with a brilliant one-handed catch by Croft removing Scott Newman (23).

That set the tone for Glamorgan as the home side took wickets at regular intervals and Middlesex slipped from 87 for 3 to 116 for 6. The sixth wicket saw Graham Wagg take a brilliant catch at long-on to send Glamorgan towards the win before the floodlights went out.

On their return from the light failure, Wagg and Alex Jones took two wickets each to complete a comprehensive win.