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Its do or die for the Dragons

The Glamorgan Dragons face a make-or-break clash against Somerset at Taunton this evening after throwing away what seemed a certain victory over Gloucestershire last night.

Nothing less than a victory will do tonight if Glamorgan, who have now lost three of their last four matches, are to have any chance of grabbing a place in the Twent20 Cup quarter-finals.

Robert Croft's men had set the visitors 191 to win at a challenging 9.55 an over and looked well on their way to securing a win after the spinners - Croft and Dean Cosker - combined to reduce Gloucestershire to 127 for four in the 14th over.

But the turning point came three overs from the end. With Gloucestershire needing 37 from 18 balls James Franklin seemed to lose the plot.

Even taking into account the whole match was played in rain and the bowlers had to deal with a wet ball Franklin inexplicably bowled two no-ball beamers and was taken out of the attack having gone for 17 off his first five deliveries.

Richard Grant stepped in to bowl the final ball which David Brown cracked for six.

That left Gloucestershire requiring only 14 off the final two overs which they did with three balls to spare.

After being put into bat Glamorgan made a mixed start to their innings although they reached 51 for nought in the first six overs.

That was mainly due to Grant's three early sixes off Will Rudge.

First he clipped Rudge over deep square leg and in his next over planted him into the BBC Radio Wales commentary box, breaking a window, at long on and then into the crowd at long off.

Though Carl Greenidge only went for 20 from his four overs from the Cathedral end the big crowd enjoyed a couple more productive overs from the River Taff end.

Ian Harvey, back from missing the last game with a bruised thumb, suffered bruised ego as he went for 16 from his opening over with Powell getting in on the act, as the 50 partnership came up off 36 balls.

Grant himself reached 50 from 32 balls and then proceeded to hit skipper Alex Gidman for two sixes, one rebounding off the Press box roof.

Powell produced two inventive scoop-sweep shots from Mark Hardinges as the Glamorgan 100 arrived in the 12th over.

But their momentum was dented when Grant was run out by a Chris Taylor throw to the wicket-keeper from backward point going for a dubious single.

And another setback arrived when Brendon McCullum holed out to the mid-wicket boundary giving Martyn Ball a wicket from his first ball.

The third-wicket partnership of Powell and Franklin, promoted ahead of David Hemp and Nicky Peng, restarted Glamorgan's assault on a more than competitive total.

Powell cracked his first six over wide long-on off Hardinges, while Franklin hit Martyn Ball straight.

But Rudge then reduced Glamorgan from 158 for 2 to 159 for three in the space of an over as Powell was caught on the boundary the delivery after reaching a 40-ball 50 and Franklin was bowled.

Hemp ensured Gloucestershire would have to chase more than nine an over with an unbeaten 18 from 13 balls.

If Glamorgan's start had been productive Gloucestershire's was turbo-charged as Ian Harvey and Craig Spearman cracked 74 from 36 balls.

Despite nursing a bruised thumb Harvey took three fours off David Harrison's opening over.

Harvey drove Wharf over long off for a massive six before Craig Spearman took 24 off an over from Franklin.

Two sixes over long on and cover respectively were followed by a four from a free hit.

It took the introduction of the spinners Cosker and Croft to get Glamorgan back into it.

Cosker's first ball trapped Harvey attempting to sweep and in the same over McCullum pulled off a brilliant diving catch at mid-off to remove Mark Hardinges.

Croft accounted for Spearman - his half-century coming off 26 balls - who was bowled stepping away.

With Gloucestershire suddenly 92 for three in the 10th over Glamorgan probably felt they had half a sniff.

But though Chris Taylor, the hero of the first game between the sides at Bristol last week, was trapped by Croft, stand-in captain Alex Gidman - 52 from 35 balls - took Gloucestershire to the last eight as group winners.

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