Rees lifts Glamorgan into credit

Glamorgan 259 for 5 beat Worcestershire 256 for 6 by five wickets
Scorecard

An innings-steadying half-century from Gareth Rees helped Glamorgan to their first CB40 over win over Worcestershire at Cardiff.

Rees - who hit 51 from 40 balls - came together with David Brown (31 not out) when Glamorgan were in some trouble at 187 for five in the 32nd over. At that stage they still required 70 to win from 49 balls after Worcestershire, who were put into bat, made 256 for 6 from their 40 overs. Rees ensured they reached that target with nine balls to spare.

As well as Rees' effort, Mark Cosgrove recorded his best one-day score for Glamorgan, with 86 from 78 balls - a crucial platform for the five-wicket win. It puts Glamorgan into credit after they started the one-day campaign on minus one point because of a penalty for an unfit pitch last season.

Australian opener Phil Jaques (110) had earlier given Worcestershire a good start with his first one-day century for the county for three seasons. The left-hander was dismissed on the final ball of the innings having guided his side to a competitive total.

Jaques and skipper Vikram Solanki started the innings cautiously but soon got into their stride in putting on 111 in 22.4 overs. Solanki was particularly impressive early on, finding the boundary with three cover drives.

Both Solanki and Jaques reached their half-centuries in the 21st over before the captain was the first of two wickets to fall in the space of three balls. Cosgrove took both, with Solanki caught at short extra cover and Moeen Ali perishing at short midwicket two balls later.

Jaques continued his accumulation of runs but was outscored in partnerships with Alexei Kervezee (27) and Gareth Andrew (23) who both produced useful cameos. Kervezee and Andrew were both caught attempting to push on the score but Jacques, who reached his 100 off 108 balls, and Daryl Mitchell ensured Worcestershire rattled up 92 runs from the final 10 overs.

Like their Worcestershire counterparts, the Glamorgan openers gave their side a useful platform with Cosgrove and Jim Allenby putting on 82 for the first wicket in 13.2 overs. Allenby became the first of James Cameron's four victims after being bowled via his elbow and Glamorgan suffered a major setback when Cosgrove was bowled by Richard Jones on the opening ball of his second spell.

Cameron then struck three times in the space of four overs to remove Tom Maynard, Ben Wright and Jamie Dalrymple. Rees and Brown, helped by the batting power play, tamed Worcestershire's inexperienced attack with Rees producing a pair of reverse slog-sweeps - one going for six as the target ticked down.