Yorkshire Bank 40: Glamorgan beat Leicestershire by 68 runs

Glamorgan gave themselves a fighting chance of qualifying for the Yorkshire Bank 40 semi-finals after easing to a 68-run win over Leicestershire at Swansea.

In front of a big crowd, Glamorgan cracked 303-6 from their 40 overs with Chris Cooke top scoring with 85 from 76 balls. In reply Leicestershire could only make 235-6 with Niall O’Brien making 92.

For Glamorgan there were also useful contributions from Murray Goodwin, who struck 48 from 19 balls, including four sixes and Mark Wallace (50) and Gareth Rees (48).

The only Leicestershire bowler to emerge with credit was off spinner James Sykes, who claimed 2-37 from his eight overs.

Glamorgan, who won the toss, were given a positive start by Wallace and Rees who amassed 84 in the opening 12 overs – 60 from the opening eight-over powerplay – before Wallace was bowled by Ben Raine, although Cooke and Rees continued the good opening, reaching 100 in the 17th over.

But with the total on 148 Rees went leg before to Sykes, who struck again to have Jim Allenby caught at shot extra cover.

Cooke reached his 50 from 49 balls and was given fine support by Goodwin who produced a blistering innings.

He seemed on course to equal the record of Stewart Walters, who posted a 19-ball fifty against Lancashire in 2011 at Colwyn Bay, but in looking for a six he was caught on the deep midwicket boundary off Nathan Buck.

Leicestershire suffered a major blow in their reply when they lost captain Josh Cobb in only the second over after being caught behind off Jim Allenby and in the next over Greg Smith was also caught behind, this time off Michael Hogan, to leave Leicestershire struggling on 12 for two.

In trying to push the score along Ned Eckersley was bowled by Allenby as the visitors further slipped to 28-3. That became 53-4 when off-spinner Andrew Salter bowled Thakor.

By the halfway stage of their Leicestershire had limped to 68 for four needing 11.75 an over. O’Brien reached his 50, but from 84 balls with only two fours, and he was followed to the landmark by Michael Thornley from 53 balls with a six and four fours before he holed out to midwicket five overs from the end.

O’Brien perished eight short of his century caught at mid-on off Allenby, who finished with figures of 3-37.

The Welsh side now have to beat Yorkshire at Headingley in their final Group C match on Monday and hope other results go their way to make the last four.