Gladiators slay Dragons

Away victory takes Gladiators to the top of South/West Division

Last updated: 10th May 2008

Craig Spearman Gloucestershire Gladiators

Spearman: Scored 66 for the Gladiators

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Friends Provident Trophy - South/West Division
The SWALEC Stadium
Glamorgan 202-8 (B J Wright 60) v Gloucestershire 204-4 (C G Taylor 66 no, C M Spearman 66)
Gloucestershire beat Glamorgan by 6 wkts

Gloucestershire ruined opening night at Glamorgan's new SWALEC Stadium with a six-wicket win in the Friends Provident Trophy clash.

Chris Taylor and Craig Spearman both hit 66 to help steer the Gladiators to glory and top spot in the South/West Division.

The pair, who had come together with their team in deep trouble at 16-3, put on a partnership of 106 to help overcome the Dragons' total of 202-8.

Youngster Ben Wright had top-scored with 60 from 85 balls for the hosts, who were playing for the first time at their Cardiff home since a £10million facelift ahead of the first Ashes Test next year.

Sluggish start

Glamorgan's innings never recovered from a sluggish start and it was only thanks to 20-year-old Wright that they managed to get over 200.

Gloucestershire's bowlers had made sure the hosts didn't fire in the opening power play overs with early wickets, though they were helped out by some outstanding work in the field.

Taylor held on to a brilliant one-handed catch at backward point to remove Matthew Wood in the sixth over and Marcus North made an edge off David Hemp's bat look easy at second slip.

With both openers gone and only 25 on the scoreboard, Michael Powell (17) and Tom Maynard (29) stablised the innings before falling in consecutive overs.

Skipper Jon Lewis was the pick of the Gladiators attack with 2-29, while Mark Hardinges, who tempted both Powell and Jamie Dalrymple to play on, and Steve Kirby also picked up two wickets apiece.

Early wickets

Gloucestershire's reply threatened to fall apart in the opening over when Alex Gidman was bowled for a second-ball duck.

North and Hamish Marshall also departed in a hurry, leaving Taylor and Spearman to rebuild the innings with a record fourth-wicket stand against their Welsh opponents.

Although Glamorgan eventually got a breakthrough when Spearman was given out lbw, David Brown came in to hit 45 not out from just 53 deliveries.

Together with Taylor, who faced 101 deliveries and hit only three boundaries, he helped get the visitors over the finishing line with more than five overs to spare.