Wessels a big hit as Steelbacks reach last eight
Riki Wessels clubbed a career-best 66 not out as Northamptonshire beat woeful Glamorgan by 20 runs to qualify for the Twenty20 Cup quarter-finals with a sixth win from nine group games.
Wessels helped Northants to a challenging 157 for seven from their 20 overs with James Harris recording four for 24.
But despite an encouraging start Glamorgan could only reach 137 for nine, going down to their eighth defeat in nine games.
Glamorgan made three changes from their desperately embarrassing 101-run defeat at Worcester with Gareth Rees, Ben Wright, and Harris coming into the side.
They discarded the expensive David Harrison and Garnett Kruger, meaning that Harris and Ryan Watkins opened the bowling and made an immediate impact.
Within five overs Northamptonshire, who won the toss, were 24 for three. Watkins began the early collapse by bowling Rob White in the second over.
The slow nature of the wicket saw Harris claim two wickets in consecutive overs. He bowled Ian Harvey via an inside edge and then had Alex Wakely caught at mid-off.
That left Nicky Boje and Wessels with a rebuilding job to do but only three boundaries came in the first 10 overs.
And in trying to force the score Jamie Dalrymple bowled Boje with his first ball of the innings to leave the visitors 65 for four in the 12th over.
Andrew Hall hit the first six of the innings before becoming Dalrymple's second victim.
But Wessels - his 66 from 44 balls with two sixes and three fours - took up the cudgel and helped Northamptonshire add 66 in the last five overs.
In reply Glamorgan got off to a solid start with 43 coming off the first five overs before Rees was bowled by Harvey.
The reply continued encouragingly until Boje took two wickets in the space of four balls. Mark Wallace was caught brilliantly at extra cover by Hall and Wright was undone attempting a reverse sweep as Glamorgan went from 67 for one to 67 for three.
Glamorgan's collapse continued as they lost two more wickets in the 12th over. Dalrymple and Michael Powell went and then in the next over Alex Wharf gave an easy return catch to Boje as the home side lost five wickets for just 17 runs.
After that there was only one winner.
Northamptonshire
Harvey b J Harris 6
R White b Watkins 2
Wakely c Watkins b J Harris 7
Boje b Dalrymple 23
M Wessels not out 66
Hall c Cosker b Dalrymple 17
van der Wath c Wallace b J Harris 19
Nelson c Watkins b J Harris 3
Extras 8w 6lb 14
Total for 7 157 (20.0 ovs)
Bowling
J Harris 4.0 0 23 4
Watkins 4.0 0 33 1
Wharf 2.0 0 19 0
Cosker 4.0 0 29 0
R Croft 4.0 0 30 0
Dalrymple 2.0 0 17 2
Glamorgan
Rees b Harvey 15
Dalrymple c Harvey b Willey 33
Wallace c Hall b Boje 16
B Wright lbw b Boje 0
M Powell run out 9
Th Maynard b van der Wath 22
Wharf c and b Boje 1
R Croft run out 5
Watkins c Harvey b van der Wath 18
J Harris not out 1
Cosker not out 1
Extras 2nb 6w 4b 4lb 16
Total for 9 137 (20.0 ovs)
Bowling
van der Wath 3.0 0 19 2
Lucas 2.0 0 17 0
Harvey 3.0 0 32 1
Hall 4.0 0 26 0
Boje 4.0 0 14 3
Willey 4.0 0 21 1
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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