T20 Blast: Balbirnie blast as Glam beat Glos by 17 runs

Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie joined Glamorgan in August for their T20 Blast campaign

Glamorgan secured the double over Gloucestershire with a 17-run win, thanks to 99 not out from Ireland batsman Andrew Balbirnie.

Glamorgan's score of 188-4 always looked demanding and the visitors finished on 171-6.

Chris Dent blasted 55 off 36 and James Bracey hit 37 but Graham Wagg's 3-34 helped check the chase.

Balbirnie's knock came off 54 balls and was the highest T20 score by a Glamorgan player in Cardiff.

Gloucestershire are already in the last eight but are not quite sure of finishing top of the Central Group as they host Somerset on Sunday, though they have a big run-rate advantage over second-placed Birmingham Bears.

It was Glamorgan's best batting performance of the campaign as opener David Lloyd clubbed 41 off 31 balls and Chris Cooke chipped in with 24 off 16 as Balbirnie pressed the accelerator in style.

He hit 11 fours and three sixes to reach 98 with one over to go, but was stranded at the non-striker's end as Dan Douthwaite hit 11 off five balls and could only manage a single off the last.

Dent kept the visitors in the hunt but the run-rate was always going up despite Bracey's flourish and a series of dropped chances under the Sophia Gardens floodlights.

It was Glamorgan's third win of the season ahead of their final game at Worcester on Sunday, 20 September.

Glamorgan batsman Andrew Balbirnie told BBC Sport Wales:

"I said when I came over I wanted to contribute to wins for Glamorgan and I haven't really been able to do that yet, so to be able to do it against a really good Gloucestershire team who were on a run is very satisfying.

"I wanted to give myself a bit of time (to get in) because I knew I could catch up at the back end and have a couple of big overs. David Lloyd played well in the power-play and I was able to dovetail with him well.

"The way Dan was hitting it it was no issue (being off strike at the end), he played a brilliant cameo in the last over and took the momentum in with us, so it's a win and that's the most important thing.

"It was an all-round performance, something we've maybe lacked since the bowlers have dug us out of trouble in the tournament and the batters haven't put in performances, to get the two working well is a great feeling for the team."

Gloucestershire captain Chris Dent told BBC Radio Bristol:

"It's been a good tournament for most of our batters, but Balbirnie played really well, he was the difference between the two innings because he went on to get 99.

"Glamorgan have played well when we've come up against them, it's on the day and they've played better both times.

"Whenever we come up against Somerset we want to win and Sunday's no different.

"This shows we can't be complacent and we've got a lot of things to work on before the quarter-final, especially when we're chasing."