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Sabres taste victory at last

Matt Wood hit 88 and Cameron White 68 as Somerset finally recorded a Twenty20 Cup win at the fifth attempt with a 28-run success against Glamorgan at Taunton.

The Sabres had lost their previous four games, but sprang to life as Wood and White shared a stand of 113 for the second wicket after Glamorgan had won the toss.

Wood scored his runs off just 53 balls, with nine fours and two sixes, while White blasted six sixes and three fours in his 35-ball knock. Ryan Watkins was the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers, with three wickets for 33 runs.

In reply, the Dragons managed 174 for five, David Hemp top scoring with 68 not out, off 44 balls with six fours, and Ben Wright contributing an unbeaten 35.

Robert Croft gave his side a lightning start with a six and four boundaries in his 22, but once he was out the Dragons were never seriously in the hunt.

They were 80 for three after 10 overs and any hope was extinguished when Wes Durston (two for 21) took two wickets in the 12th over to make it 90 for five.

Hemp and Wright did their best, but the required run-rate rose to more than 15 an over and Somerset always had things under control.

It had looked like being an all-too familiar tale for the Sabres when Justin Langer was caught behind for as duck off the second ball of their innings.

But White and Wood soon began to take advantage of excellent batting conditions.

Their second-wicket stand featured some tremendous clean hitting, with White collecting all his sixes on the leg side, clearing the boundary comfortably on each occasion. The Australian reached his half-century off 29 balls.

Wood was content to play more orthodox strokes and it said much for the quality of his batting that his fifty was scored off 28 balls, one fewer than White.

Peter Trego (18) and James Hildreth (22) made breezy contributions in the closing stages, ensuring that Somerset did not miss Marcus Trescothick, sidelined by a groin injury.

Wood was out to the last ball of the innings, caught on the long-off boundary off Robert Croft, who was the most economical Glamorgan bowler with one for 29 from his four overs.

With Somerset already out of contention for a quarter-final place, the result leaves Glamorgan needing to win their last three games to stand a chance of qualification.

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