Glamorgan won their first Clydesdale Bank 40 League match with an entertaining five-wicket win over Worcestershire at Cardiff.
Worcestershire had looked in control with Glamorgan needing 70 to win from 49 balls but a quick-fire innings from Gareth Rees, who struck 51 from 40 balls, and David Brown, 31 from 21, smashed the home side to victory.
Glamorgan won the toss and asked Worcestershire to bat first under thick cloud cover. They made a patient start – just 24 came from from the opening eight-over powerplay.
Phil Jacques eventually used the fielding restrictions to lift length deliveries over midwicket and the Worcestershire captain, Vikram Solanki, drove lustily through extra cover for two fours.
The patient start paid dividends as the 50 was brought up in the 13th over and both players manoeuvred the spin of Dean Cosker and Jamie Dalrymple around well to keep the scoreboard moving and after 20 overs the visitors were well-placed at 95-0.
Jaques glanced Mark Cosgrove down to third-man to bring up his half-century from 68 balls and Solanki brought up his own 50 from 58 balls with a flick through midwicket.
But Nelson struck twice for the home side as two wickets fell in three balls with the score on 111. First Solanki, on 55, drove Cosgrove loosely and was caught at extra-cover, before Moeen Ali slapped a drive in the air to mid-off and was out for a second-ball duck.
But Jaques continued to progress the innings and again found the leg-side boundary with two slog-sweeps off Cosgrove.
Further contributions came from Alexei Kervezee, who lifted James Harris for six over long-on in his 27 from 20 balls, and Gareth Andrew, who guided the Royals through the batting powerplay, audaciously stepping across his stumps and flicking to fine-leg in his 23 from just 12 balls.
Those innings supported Jacques who expanded, lifting another six into the pavilion before delicately paddle-sweeping a four to long-leg. A single through the covers brought up the 200 with seven overs remaining.
He had lost Ben Smith, caught a cover, before he brought up his 13th one-day hundred off 108 balls with a quickly-taken single to mid-off.
Daryll Mitchell contributed very well in the closing stages of the innings, powering a six over midwicket and driving through the off-side for four. His 33 from 20 balls pushed Worcestershire to 256-6.
Glamorgan made a more aggressive start to their innings and Cosgrove, after two lusty strokes through the offside, struck a huge six down the ground off Jack Shantry that cleared the river stand.
Cosgrove also slugged a boundary between midwicket and mid-on as Glamorgan reached 68-0 from 11 overs.
It took the change bowling of James Cameron to provide a break through. Jim Allenby, having nearly played onto his stumps from the previous delivery, again came only half-forward and an ounce of extra bounce from Cameron saw the ball deflect into the stumps off the inside shoulder of Allenby’s bat.
Cosgrove confidently stroked his way to a half century from 51 balls but was nearly caught on the long-off boundary as Moeen Ali was introduced into the attack.
Cosgrove attempted to lift him into the media centre and mistimed the stroke. Richard Jones came round to take a good catch, only to fall into the boundary hoardings and concede six runs.
Jones gained his revenge, however. With the first ball of his second spell, Cosgrove swung and missed a length ball and lost his leg stump. His brutal 86 off 78 balls was his highest one-day score.
But Tom Maynard, son of Glamorgan coach Matthew, picked up where Cosgrove left off and swung a big six over the largest boundary but then gave his wicket away, chipping Cameron to Moeen Ali at point.
Cameron picked up another breakthrough as Ben Wright offered up a simple catch to Mitchell at midwicket and the visitors were on top.
Glamorgan required eight-an-over to win and Gareth Rees decided unconventional methods might win the game, twice scooping over his head and reverse-hitting Jones for six over third man.
But Cameron struck again, having Dalrymple caught behind trying to cut for 28.
With six overs remaining Glamorgan took the batting powerplay and this proved the turning point as Rees, together with David Brown, plundered 44 from the next three overs.
Another reverse hit and a swat through the leg-side saw Glamorgan needing 22 to win from 24 balls with Rees going to 50 from just 39 balls.
But it was Brown who brought Glamorgan home. Launching Shantry over the river stand for a huge six and next ball, chipping over the leg-side for four.
By Alex Winter, at the Swalec Stadium
