Smith’s four for six puts icing on birthday cake
At Richmond
Glamorgan (135-3, 12.5 overs) beat Middlesex (131 all out, 20 overs) by seven wickets
Ruaidhri Smith marked his 24th birthday with astonishing figures of four for six to lift Glamorgan to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Middlesex in the Vitality Blast.
Smith accounted for Middlesex’s top four at Richmond, bowling Paul Stirling, Stevie Eskinazi and England limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan, recording the best-ever economy rate by a Glamorgan bowler in Twenty20 cricket.
Middlesex were rolled over for just 131 and slid to their eighth defeat in nine games as their opponents cantered to their modest target in only 12.5 overs, completing their third straight victory and strengthening their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Glamorgan elected to bowl first after winning the toss – and that decision was proved resoundingly inspired as Smith immediately blew away the hosts’ top order.
Nick Gubbins was the first to go, neatly caught by Graham Wagg at short cover, and Eskinazi chopped on for a fifth-ball duck at the end of the same over.
Captain Morgan also played on and, when Smith uprooted the off stump of Stirling, Middlesex were already sinking fast at a wretched 20 for four.
There was no sign of the carnage abating as Timm van der Gugten (four for 31) removed James Franklin for 12 and Robbie White for a duck, both lbw in the space of three deliveries.
James Fuller led a mini-recovery, hitting Craig Meschede for three boundaries in an over as he and George Scott (32) put together a partnership of 40.
Fuller’s undefeated knock of 46 from 30 balls at least dragged Middlesex’s total in the direction of respectability as they posted 131 all out – aided by six penalty runs awarded for a slow over-rate.
Glamorgan suffered an early casualty in their run-chase, as Meschede flicked the second ball of the innings into the hands of Gubbins at deep square leg.
Aneurin Donald (15) also perished, swinging at Steven Finn (two for 37) and missing – but any whiff of hope for Middlesex was extinguished by Kiran Carlson, who set out to dominate from the off.
He crashed Fuller through the covers for four, following that up with a leg-side six, and had reached 40 from 22 balls when he fell to an impressive catch by Eskinazi, diving forward at deep midwicket.
Colin Ingram took up the baton, smashing an unbeaten 46 off 30 deliveries, while Chris Cooke clubbed Stirling for successive sixes to finish on 25 not out and complete a comfortable win.