T20 Blast: Jacques Rudolph century guides Glamorgan to win

Jacques Rudolph's century was his first in T20 cricket

An unbeaten century from captain Jacques Rudolph guided Glamorgan to a 19-run T20 Blast victory over Gloucestershire in Bristol.

The South African's 101 came from 71 balls, with Craig Meschede, Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke hitting out as the visitors posted 191-3.

Gloucester skipper Michael Klinger produced an even better knock with 104 not out off 63 in reply.

But wickets fell cheaply and regularly at the other end to some tight bowling.

Michael Hogan finished with 2-24 off his four overs, Wayne Parnell also only went for six an over but without claiming a victim, while Graham Wagg provided able support with 2-39.

Glamorgan have now made it three wins from five games in the South Group and they will seek to keep their momentum against Somerset in Cardiff on Saturday.

Rudolph, whose previous best T20 score was 83 not out for the Titans against Perth Scorchers in the 2012 Champions League, began watchfully and the first over of the match from James Fuller produced only a single.

But Meschede then got the scoreboard moving with two straight sixes off David Payne and soon Rudolph was into his stride, striking the ball cleanly and with increasing confidence as the pair took the total to 57 by the end of the six-over power play.

Meschede fell for 26, caught at long-on off Howell with the score 78 in the ninth over.

But Ingram helped Rudoph maintain the tempo in a partnership of 60 in 6.4 overs before being pinned lbw trying to sweep Howell, having been dropped the ball before.

Rudolph had taken 37 balls to reach his half-century and got to three figures off the penultimate ball of the innings, by which time Chris Cooke, who hit two sixes in an over from Kieran Noema-Barnett, had departed for 20, caught and bowled by the otherwise expensive David Payne.

Gloucestershire's reply got off to a bad start in fading light when Chris Dent was caught at deep square off Hogan in only the second over.

Klinger again looked a class apart from his batting partners, although Ian Cockbain helped take the total to 56 before being caught at long-on for 15 off Wagg.

But by then Gloucestershire were well behind the required run rate and Jack Taylor was sent in to try and bridge the gap, but after being dropped first ball quickly succumbed to a catch at long-off, with Dean Cosker the successful bowler.

Klinger moved effortlessly to another half-century off 33 balls, with seven fours and a six, despite the increasing gloom and drizzle.

But he lost another partner when fellow Australian Peter Handscomb was pouched at deep mid-wicket off Andrew Salter.

Gloucestershire were 90 for four in the 13th over and facing a near impossible task in the conditions.

Klinger kept playing as if it were a sunny afternoon and Geraint Jones contributed a spirited 25, but it never looked like being enough and the last over began with 27 needed.

It was a bridge too far but it saw Klinger reach his ton off 63 balls, with 10 fours and three sixes.

Glamorgan squad: Jacques Rudolph (capt), Chris Cooke, Dean Cosker, Michael Hogan, Colin Ingram, David Lloyd, Craig Meschede, Wayne Parnell, Andrew Salter, Ruaidhri Smith, Graham Wagg, Mark Wallace (wk), Ben Wright.