Glamorgan: Welsh county blame squad changes for One Day Cup exit

Colin Ingram (L) and Tom Cullen set a new county sixth-wicket record by adding 188 together in the win over Kent

Glamorgan coach David Harrison says the lack of a settled squad is to blame for the failure to progress in the One Day Cup.

The 2021 champions finished with four wins from eight, but were eliminated by Kent's narrow win over Lancashire.

"This year there were a lot more changes with injuries, call ups and form so that took some juggling," admitted Harrison.

Glamorgan now have four Championship matches to bid for promotion.

The 50-overs format saw Glamorgan win their opening two games and last two matches, but a disastrous run of four defeats in the middle, several by large margins, meant their dramatic efforts in the high-scoring victory over Worcestershire were in vain.

The county were not as badly hit as many others by Hundred franchise calls, with only Michael Hogan and Timm van der Gugten involved, but fitness issues for Michael Neser, Jamie McIlroy and Ruaidhri Smith saw the seam bowling attack badly depleted.

Chris Cooke was injured for four games, David Lloyd was rested for three because of his heavy workload while Sam Northeast and Colin Ingram missed a match apiece.

Captain Kiran Carlson was the only player to feature in all eight.

Although Glamorgan lost five players to the Hundred the previous summer, Harrison says they managed to keep a stable squad on that occasion.

"We missed a few players from the first game when Timm van der Gugten, Jamie McIlroy and Chris Cooke started, Chris and Jamie got injured, and there was a lot more chopping and changing than last year when we had a settled squad of 14 players," Harrison told BBC Sport Wales.

Last over drama

A club record limited-overs score of 177 not out from Sam Northeast at Worcester, with an unbeaten hundred from Billy Root, saw Glamorgan push to the final minutes of the group action before Kent scrambled a two-wicket win over Lancashire with a ball to spare, thanks to a dropped chance.

"I was checking the scores on my phone all afternoon and at one stage we were probably favourites with Kent and Yorkshire losing early wickets. We watched the last over of the Kent game, but we thought even if Kent lost we weren't going to go through (on net run-rate)," said Harrison.

"It's frustrating after we finished the comp really well, but we came up short in the middle four games."

"Winning the last two gives us a bit of momentum (for the championship), winning's a habit, the last game was against Worcestershire and we play them in the Championship in 12 days."

Four 'massive' games

Glamorgan lie third in Division Two of the Championship with two being promoted. They stand five points behind Middlesex, but with a game in hand, as the Londoners sit out the next round on 5 September before Glamorgan travel to Lord's on 12 September.

After a disastrous transition back into red-ball cricket in September 2021, having practice hit by Covid cases and then losing three games, Glamorgan are hoping for a smoother change.

Some first-team players are likely to play in a second XI game against Leicestershire, while seamer Van der Gugten is continuing red-ball practice while not getting games in the Hundred.

"That was a lesson learned from last year, and hopefully everyone's ready to go against Worcester, an important game in an important month, with the chance of getting into the first division for the first time since 2005," said Harrison.

Root is hoping to resume his form against Worcestershire in particular, with 99 not out and 113 not out against the Pears.

"That's just the way things fall sometimes, but I'm just going to work as hard as I can for the rest of the season and put in a few more scores to help the boys," said Root.

"There are four massive games for us and we're pushing hard for Division One, we came close in 2019 (one place outside promotion slots) and hopefully this time we'll get over the line."

That is, assuming the Championship still has two divisions of 10 and eight teams in 2023 - the ECB and counties are currently engaged in a review of next season's structure despite four different set-ups in the last four years because of Covid.

While many Welsh supporters are looking forward to the Lord's fixture as a potential decider, Northeast warns they have to concentrate equally hard on each fixture.

"Those last four games are going to be crucial, after a rest we need to finish off what's been a really good red-ball campaign so far. It's one game at a time, but we're excited about the challenge ahead," said Glamorgan's top scorer in the Championship.

Glamorgan are yet to announce their second overseas signing for the month, with Colin Ingram (Caribbean Premier League), Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser (Queensland) all committed elsewhere.

New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel will arrive for the Worcestershire encounter.