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Final-ball joy for Glamorgan

Glamorgan (214) bt Northants (208) by 6 runs

Glamorgan snatched victory by six runs, bowling Northamptonshire out for 208 off the final ball.

The Welsh team's task was not made any easier when Steve Watkin, their most experienced bowler, left the field with a back injury suffered as he delivered the third ball of his third over.

``Steve landed awkwardly and felt a back spasm,'' said physiotherapist Dean Conway. ``He must be considered doubtful for the County Championship match against Leicestershire this week because of the danger of a recurrence, but he is a quick healer.''

Watkin had already accounted for Northamptonshire's Australian opener Matthew Hayden, and when Russell Warren was brilliantly caught by Robert Croft at short midwicket with the total on 35, Glamorgan seemed to have the upper hand.

But Rob Bailey and David Sales redressed the balance with a third-wicket stand of 68 in 16 overs before Bailey top-edged Dean Cosker to Croft at backward square leg for 43.

Sales had made 48 when he offered Cosker a return catch, and it was left to Tony Penberthy to carry the Northants flag. He reached his fifty off 51 balls, but with 15 runs needed off the last over he holed out to Adrian Dale at long on.

Glamorgan's total contained significant contributions from openers Steve James and Alun Evans, but relied a great deal on an impressive unbeaten 74 by Dale. He struck only three boundaries in his 93-ball innings, but his ability to turn singles into twos and twos into threes kept the scoreboard busy.

James and Evans put together 57 in 14 overs for the first wicket before Evans steepled Penberthy to Hayden at short midwicket. Dale joined James in a second-wicket partnership also worth 57 in an over less

James showed a few signs of discomfort from the cracked thumb that kept him out of the championship match against Gloucestershire and took only two boundaries on a wicket that always made forcing shots a gamble.

He was one run short of his first National League half-century of the summer when he drove down the wrong line and was leg before.

Michael Powell added a breezy 20 before Croft, with 15 off 14 balls, and Darren Thomas, 12 off six, helped Dale to add 38 in the last five overs, 15 of them in what proved to be a crucial final over.