To The Cricks'

Yorkshire 230 all out (48.5 overs) 

beat 

Glamorgan 226 for 8 

by 4 runs 

ECB 50 Over Cup (Group Stage) 

Thursday 12 August 2021 

Played at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff 

Did I hear that right? While immediately celebrating that Yorkshire win in the pub, news began to filter through that we go to a Quarter Final at Chelmsford on Saturday. And. If Yorkshire win that. We're back here at Sophia Gardens on fucking Monday for the Semi.

What a marvelous format this "best of the rest" Cup is. Final group game today. Two Quarter Finals (two, yes, I know) to come. Two Semi Finals to come. And we'll know the winner by this time next week. I was going home on Sunday. After The Blades at Swansea on Saturday night. Now, I'm going to wait & see what happens at Chelmsford in the hope I have to stay down in South Wales two more nights. Marvelous format.

Right. Rewind. The celebration.

The Cricketers, 66 Cathedral Rd, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9LL

In which…. the bloke getting served in front of me turned & said….

"I don't know how we've lost that"

"I haven't lost that mate, I'm from Sheffield"

I jousted back.

"Wow, I'm a Glamorgan fan, but I live on Ringinglow Road in Sheffield"

My new found fellow traveler lobbed back.

It was one of those days.

The Cricketers is one of a number of pubs on the main road right alongside the Sophia Gardens ground. I picked it out of the CAMRA Guide because it's owned by Evan Evans Brewery out there in Llandeilo in West Wales. Now, my Welsh Cousins will surely forgive me when I say - a brewery called Evan Evans is UNMISTAKABLY Welsh. Great name. Great beers. Get at it.

Seemed appropriate to go through the four strong card. All on Cask.

Golden Export Ale at 4.4%

WPA Welsh Pale Ale at 4.1%

Warrior at 4.6%

CWRW at 4.2% (Welsh for Beer, think "cooroo" ish)

I preferred the first two paler incarnations to the latter two British Bitter styles.

Who knows? Felt to me like Yorkshire just concentrated on staying in touch in that game. Then Glamorgan wilted (something, something about daffodils, don't know, I'm not a comedian) under a bit of pressure. And Yorkshire got it over the line. Top of the table Glamorgan chasing 231 to win (we'll come back to that). They got over halfway there before they lost their first wicket. Hamish Rutherford for 58 at 121 for 1 after 27.4 overs.

His opening partner, Nick Selman, looked like he'd make a century for all money. But he went caught Ballance, bowled George Hill for 92. That was at 187 for 4. Wickets two through five all went within 19 runs. 51 off 53 balls with 9 wickets left begat 34 off 22, with just 5 wickets left. And, crucially, numbers 6 & 7 out there, with nobody set. 

George Hill took 3 wickets for 2 runs off just 6 balls in that spell. (By my reckoning, but who's counting?) He then conceded just an under the asking rate 6 runs off his last over. Leaving Revis & Waite to defend 24 off two overs. Two wickets fell in the 50th (Waite). But the important bit was those were Dot Balls. And. Not. Enough.

All this after Yorkshire were struggling on 88 for 4. And absolutely reeling on 132 for 7 off 34.1 overs. Waite & Jonny Tatts did the old rebuild before Matthew was out for 44 off 42. Tattersall topped with 53 off 62. Dabbing & sprinting. Finding gaps to chip into. Just two fours in his lot. The feeling was very much - stayed in the game, at least it's a defendable target, could have been worse. Got better. Oh yes.

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