Maynard reflects on B&H defeat

Matthew Maynard hits a four on the way to 104

Glamorgan captain Matthew Maynard was philosphical about his side's agonising seven wicket defeat in the Benson and Hedges final at the hands of Gloucestershire.

Mark Alleyne's team dismissed their opponents for 225 despite a marvellous innings of 104 by Maynard, who won the toss and opted to bat first, and then knocked off the runs with 19 balls to spare.

Maynard went on to receive the Man of the Match award, but the trophy was scant consolation for the tail end collapse of his side.

"I would have liked 235, 240 which would have been nice, but Ian Harvey came in and bowled as he does and you can't spank him for 10 an over.

"At the end of the day, I'd rather have got nought and won the game," he said.

"It's nice to get a personal performance but the team always comes first.

He added: "Our bowlers got us this far they did well against Hampshire and Surrey, but it was not their day today," he said.

"My players can hold their heads high, maybe after a bit of sulking in the dressing room!"

Gloucestershire exuded confidence following last season's wins in the B&H Super Cup and NatWest Trophy and Tim Hancock and Kim Barnett launched their reply with a boundary barrage.

Hancock's dismissal for 60 reduced them to 131 for three but Matt Windows helped himself to a half century and he and Alleyne shared a stand of 95 to see them home on 226 for three.

Australian all-rounder Ian Harvey had given Gloucestershire an ideal start to the match when he dismissed Glamorgan openers Robert Croft and Matthew Elliott with only 24 runs on the board.

Accuracy

Maynard batted fluently from the start of his innings but Michael Powell was given a testing time by the nagging accuracy of Mike Smith and managed only a single from the first 22 balls he faced.

The pair picked up the run-rate when Gloucestershire's support bowlers came into the attack and a stand of 137 gave Glamorgan the foundation for a big score.

Barnett's innings comes to an end

But Powell's dismissal for 48, caught and bowled by Jeremy Snape, triggered a collapse which saw five wickets fall for 35 runs.

Maynard struck 10 boundaries as he reached three figures from 113 balls and was last man out for 104 in the final over when he was beaten by Barnett's throw to wicket-keeper Jack Russell as he tried to regain the strike.

Harvey, passed fit after a hamstring strain, was the pick of Gloucestershire's attack with superb figures of five for 34.

Glamorgan needed Owen Parkin and Steve Parkin to keep things tight when they took the field but Barnett made Gloucestershire's intentions clear by pounding the second ball to the boundary.

Assertive

Hancock was equally assertive, pulling Watkin's first delivery to square leg for four and producing a carbon copy two balls later when the bowler erred in length again.

Barnett's innings comes to an end

Parkin was withdrawn from the line of fire after conceding 29 runs from his first four overs and Hancock and Barnett extended their partnership to 80 before the latter dragged a wide ball from Croft into his stumps.

Robert Cunliffe batted well for 24 before being surprised by extra bounce achieved by Watkin and when Parkin flung himself to his left to catch a lobbed chance offer by Hancock, Glamorgan were back in the match.

But Windows and Alleyne opted to accumulate runs in ones and twos, interspersed by an occasional boundary, and reduced the target to 71 from the last 15 overs.

Glamorgan's hopes faded in the 39th over when Windows suddenly square cut Adrian Dale to the fence and then imperiously pulled the next ball for four over square leg.

Dale suffered again when he was lofted over mid-on by the same batsman and Windows was left unbeaten on 53 when Alleyne chipped the winning run off the same bowler from the fifth ball of the 47th over.