Porterfield guides Gloucestershire home
Will Porterfield took 26 off an over from Chris Ashling while guiding Gloucestershire to an eight-wicket Friends Provident t20 victory over Glamorgan at Bristol
02-Jul-2010
Will Porterfield took 26 off an over from Chris Ashling while guiding Gloucestershire to an eight-wicket Friends Provident t20 victory over Glamorgan at Bristol. The Ireland captain smashed 65, his best Twenty20 score, as the Gladiators chased down a target of 154 with 4.2 overs to spare. He hit five fours and a six off the sixth over sent down by Ashling.
Glamorgan's innings of 153 for 7 was built around the contributions of Mark Wallace (34), Tom Maynard (36) and Jamie Dalrymple (38). Steve Kirby claimed 3 for 17 from his four overs. It never looked likely to be enough once Porterfield and Aaron Redmond (33) had launched Gloucestershire's reply with a glut of boundaries, scoring 78 off the six powerplay overs.
Redmond was content to play second fiddle as Porterfield cut loose to score his runs off just 27 balls, with seven fours and three sixes. When they were out James Franklin (29 not out) and Hamish Marshall (16 not out) kept the momentum going and there was never any doubt about the outcome.
Glamorgan had begun their innings poorly after winning the toss as Jim Allenby was caught behind off Anthony Ireland in the second over and opening partner Mark Cosgrove followed with the total on 28.
The burly Australian called for a quick single as Kirby appealed unsuccessfully for lbw against Wallace and was run out by some nifty footwork from wicketkeeper Steve Snell, who kicked the ball onto the stumps from close range.
Wallace and Maynard added 57 in six overs, taking the Dragons to 42 for 2 off the first six and then to 85 before Wallace was brilliantly caught two-handed by the diving Snell off Kirby. He had faced 27 balls and hit three fours and a six.
Maynard hit sixes off Richard Dawson and Redmond before hitting a full-toss from Dawson straight to Redmond at deep midwicket. His 23-ball innings also featured three fours.
Dalrymple smacked two sixes off the same Ireland over putting Glamorgan in sight of a 160-plus total. But Kirby removed him and Gareth Rees and the Dragons could score only five off their last two overs.