Image Credit – Glamorgan Cricket Archives.
Despite losing the final by seven wickets, Glamorgan got back into the winning habit three days later as they defeated Essex by 20 runs at Sophia Gardens in the first-ever floodlit one-day League match in Wales. Matthew Elliott’s graceful batting was to the fore again during July as he helped the Welsh county register four successive Championship victories – the first time since 1968 that they had won four games in a row.
The sequence began at Swansea with Glamorgan, languishing at the bottom of the Division Two table, and without a win to their name, taking on Worcestershire, who were at the top of the table. The Welsh county turned the form book on its head, as Darren Thomas claimed eight wickets and Dean Cosker five as Worcestershire failed by 82 runs to chase a target of 334 on the final day. It looked like only being a temporary upswing in the county`s fortunes as they travelled to Northampton without both Maynard and Croft who were on one-day duty with England before slumping to 77-6 at lunch.
However, Alex Wharf completely changed the complexion of the game after the interval with a superb hundred – his first in the Championship – before the burly all-rounder claimed three wickets with the new ball as Northants were reduced to 85-7. After some brief tail end resistance, Elliott and acting captain Steve James extended the lead as Northants were left needing 323 to win. They were never in the hunt in the face of yet another display of spirited Welsh bowling, from Steve Watkin and Darren Thomas as Glamorgan won by 144 runs.
Opposite – Alex Wharf. Photo Credit – Glamorgan Cricket Archives.
Their winning ways continued at Southgate where, chasing a target of 307, Elliott posted another high-class hundred before Adrian Shaw and Thomas took Glamorgan to a two-wicket win and their first on Middlesex soil since 1954. Another spirited run chase followed against Northamptonshire at Cardiff, plus another magnificent century from Elliott before Glamorgan, needing 309, got home by five wickets.
The series of victories had seen Glamorgan rise up from the bottom of Division Two to the top of the table, and all with a game in hand over their nearest rivals, but any thoughts of extending the lead were quickly dispelled as they lost to Gloucestershire on an indifferent wicket at Bristol. Glamorgan got back into winning habits at the end of August as they travelled to North Wales to play Sussex in what turned out to be quite a remarkable game.
Click here to read more about the victory and Steve James’ record-breaking innings.
But Glamorgan’s victory was their final Championship success of the summer, but it was sufficient to see the county win promotion into Division One as they defeated Middlesex at Cardiff. It was a worthy reward after the disappointments of Lord’s and also marked the end of Maynard’s term as the Club’s inspirational captain.