Tom Maynard guides Glamorgan to timely success
Tom Maynard cracked an unbeaten 63 from 38 balls as Glamorgan Dragons got back to winning ways in the Friends Provident t20 with a seven-wicket win over Middlesex Panthers in Cardiff
26-Jun-2010
Glamorgan 167 for 3 beat Middlesex 166 for 2
Scorecard
Scorecard
Tom Maynard cracked an unbeaten 63 from 38 balls as Glamorgan Dragons got back to winning ways in the Friends Provident t20 with a seven-wicket win over Middlesex Panthers in Cardiff. Glamorgan had won their opening three South Group matches but had suffered four successive defeats - and were then stripped off fast bowler Shaun Tait, who had been drafted into the Australia one-day squad.
This time they held their nerve chasing down 167 to win with seven balls to spare after Middlesex, who won the toss, had been helped to 166 for 2 with contributions from Scott Newman, Neil Dexter, in his first game as captain replacing Adam Gilchrist, and Dawid Malan.
The Dragons were given a fine launching pad in their reply with openers Mark Cosgrove and Jim Allenby - 45 from 35 balls - putting on 56 for the opening wicket. Allenby and Maynard combined to add another 54 from 32 balls with Maynard hitting sixes over cover and midwicket off Dexter and Pedro Collins respectively.
Though he lost Allenby and Gareth Rees, 21-year-old Maynard did not panic as Glamorgan were left needing 16 for victory from the final two overs. Maynard, who had been dropped off Collins on 21, released the pressure by hitting Tom Smith for a six over long on and then a four from consecutive balls as he wrapped up the game in the penultimate over.
Earlier, Newman had helped Middlesex build a useful base with 48 from 40 balls before Dexter and Malan, with 40 not out apiece, shared a partnership of 76 from the final 44 balls. Newman had an escape on 30 when he survived a leg-side stumping off Robert Croft, but made the most of his life hitting slow left-armer Dean Cosker over long on and midwicket for two sixes from three balls.
But just two short of his half-century he perished to a brilliant return catch by Croft, who dived low to his right. From 90 for 2 in the 14th over Dexter and Malan gave the Panthers' innings some real impetus sharing five sixes between them, but it proved not enough in the final analysis.