Glamorgan Secures Home Semi-Final

Glamorgan ensured a home semi-final in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup by defeating Yorkshire Vikings by 62 runs at Sophia Gardens, marking their sixth win out of eight and solidifying their position at the top of Group B.

Having already secured a play-off spot, Glamorgan avoided the need to play in Friday's quarter-final by topping their group. The Welsh side's innings was anchored by Billy Root, who scored a vital 66 against his former county, Yorkshire, helping his team reach a total of 230 for 9 in a match shortened to 47 overs per side due to early rain. Root's crucial 56-run partnership with Timm van der Gugten for the ninth wicket pushed Glamorgan beyond the 200-run mark.

Yorkshire's spinners, Dom Bess and Dan Moriarty, put up a strong fight, bowling 20 overs between them and conceding only 94 runs. Moriarty emerged with figures of 3 for 47 from his 10 overs. Van der Gugten contributed an unbeaten 34, featuring a six and three boundaries, before giving Glamorgan a dream start with the ball, dismissing Harry Duke lbw with the first delivery of Yorkshire's innings. He finished with figures of 2 for 32 from his 10 overs, capping off a fine all-round performance.

Yorkshire's reply faltered early as they slumped to 11 for 3 within seven overs, with Noah Kelly and William Luxton both clean bowled. Captain Jonny Tattersall offered resistance with a half-century, forming partnerships of 46 with Yash Vagadia and 59 with Matt Revis, as Yorkshire reached 116 for 5. However, Andy Gorvin's burst of three wickets in 12 balls, including the dismissals of Revis (28), Tattersall (51), and George Hill (2), swung the match decisively in Glamorgan's favor.

With the required run rate climbing over six per over, Bess attempted to counterattack but was caught by Dan Douthwaite for 22, giving Ben Kellaway his second wicket—one with each arm. At 152 for 8, Yorkshire faced an uphill battle, needing more than seven runs per over to win. Kellaway and Gorvin quickly wrapped up the tail, dismissing Yorkshire for 168.

Earlier in the day, Tattersall had won the toss and elected to field under overcast skies. A delayed start reduced the match to 47 overs per side. Glamorgan's openers, Will Smale and Asa Tribe, began aggressively, with Smale taking 10 off Dom Leech’s first over and Tribe driving Ben Cliff's first ball to the boundary. However, Cliff struck back in the sixth over, dismissing both openers, Smale for 16 and Tribe lbw for 9, reducing Glamorgan to 28 for 2. Cliff further compounded Glamorgan's troubles by removing Sam Northeast for 7, caught brilliantly at slip by George Hill, leaving the hosts under pressure at 40 for 3.

Captain Kiran Carlson and Colin Ingram attempted to steady the ship, bringing up the 50 in the last over of the power play. But Hill soon removed Ingram, caught behind by Tattersall for 18, ending a 44-run partnership and leaving Glamorgan at 84 for 4. Carlson was trapped lbw by Leech after reaching 31, just as the team passed the 100-run mark.