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Royals win dead rubber

Former captain Ben Smith hammered 105 from 45 balls as Worcestershire Royals beat Glamorgan Dragons by 37 runs in the Twenty20 Cup at New Road.

Former captain Ben Smith hammered 105 from 45 balls as Worcestershire Royals beat Glamorgan Dragons by 37 runs in the Twenty20 Cup at New Road.

The home side piled up 223 for nine to leave the Welsh side bottom of the Midlands/West/Wales group.

Smith's second-wicket partnership of 149 in 11 overs with Graeme Hick (59) took the Royals to their highest total in the short format - only four days after they collapsed for their lowest score of 100 against Gloucestershire.

The Welshmen set off at scorching pace, reaching 50 by the fifth over, but could not maintain the pace and finished well short at 186 for five.

Strangely, the match began well for Glamorgan when Stephen Moore, restored as Hick's opening partner after two games batting at number seven, lost his middle stump attempting to drive a ball from David Harrison.

The 6ft 4in paceman was easily the most threatening bowler, achieving a minor distinction by conceding only five runs in his wicket-taking over, but Glamorgan missed their big chance when Michael Powell, at slip, spilled a top edge from Hick, on seven, in Andrew Davies' first over.

Hick had already carved one six over third man and the assault really took off as Smith charged to 50 in 21 balls with three consecutive fours and a six over mid-wicket in taking 20 off an over from Robert Croft.

Although Hick seemed to tag along in Smith's wake, the former England batsman worked the ball around so well that he needed only 26 deliveries to register his third half-century in the competition this season.

The pair chalked up a century stand in only seven overs and Glamorgan could only wait for a let-off, which finally arrived when Hick, after hitting eight fours and two sixes in his 59, cut a short ball from Davies to Dean Cosker at point.

Smith moved on to his hundred from 42 balls by dumping Adam Harrison over midwicket for his sixth six and he had time to add a 12th four before lifting a catch to extra cover off the same bowler.

Thereafter Worcestershire slogged at almost everything and, in the inevitable clatter of wickets, 21-year-old seamer Richard Grant emerged from the carnage with four for 38.

Grant also made 36 in Glamorgan's unsuccessful chase but wickets fell too frequently for them to sustain momentum.

Kabir Ali bowled Croft for 13 and Matthew Elliott survived a chance at first slip in Shoaib Akhtar's opening over.

The Pakistan fast bowler bowled only two overs before leaving the field, but Elliott (13) mis-hit to short midwicket off David Leatherdale and Gareth Batty ended Grant's breezy knock with a stumping by James Pipe.

Powell made the most progress with a half-century from 32 balls but was then caught at long-on for 51 off Darly Mitchell after a stand of 72 in eight overs with Dan Cherry, unbeaten with 43 from 28 deliveries.

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