Glamorgan defeat Gloucestershire to make it three out of three

Glamorgan maintained their unbeaten sequence in the National League with an emphatic 10 wicket victory over Gloucestershire in a contest that was reduced initially to a 30 over game as a result of morning rain in South Wales.

Robert Croft won an important toss and with rain clouds gathering, he had no hesitation in inserting the opponents. Andrew Davies then reduced Gloucestershire to 20-3 in a very impressive opening spell from the River End, as Davies took 3-4 in 9 balls.

A short shower caused another interrruption and the game was further reduced to a 26 overs contest, but when play resumed the Glamorgan bowlers remained on top with Alex Wharf taking 4-18 - his best ever figures in one day cricket and the best by a Glamorgan bowler against Gloucestershire in the competition.

With Robert Croft making shrewd bowling changes, and his team fielding with great spirit, none of the Gloucestershire batsmen could come to terms with the Glamorgan attack, and they closed their innings on a disappointing 133-9.

After the Duckworth-Lewis calculations had been performed Glamorgan`s target was 133 in 26 overs, and Robert Croft and Ian Thomas then shared an unbroken stand of 135 in 21.2 overs as Glamorgan cantered to only their third ever win the competition by 10 wickets, and their first since 1993.

Ian Thomas was in imperious mood, hitting three huge sixes and six fours in his unbeaten 71, whilst Croft`s 60 contained four fours and a six as they put all of the Gloucestershire bowlers to the sword and raced to their target with 28 balls to spare. This was Glamorgan`s first victory over Gloucestershire in the competition since 1996 and their first in Wales since 1993.

It was the Dragon`s third successive win in the League and equalled the club`s best ever start in the competition, achieved in 1980 when Glamorgan defeated Lancashire, Essex and Nottinghamshire. The Dragons will be looking to make it a record four out of four next Sunday when they travel to Headingley to play Yorkshire.