RESULT
South Division (D/N), Cardiff, July 18, 2014, NatWest t20 Blast
(18/20 ov, T:158) 159/3

Essex won by 7 wickets (with 12 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
51 (28)
jesse-ryder
Report

Ryder secures Essex a home quarter

Hard-hitting Jesse Ryder scored a quickfire half-century to help Essex seal a home tie in the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals with a seven-wicket win over Glamorgan at Cardiff.

Essex 159 for 3 (Ryder 51, Westley 44) beat Glamorgan 157 for 2 (Goodwin 71, Rudolph 60*) by seven wickets
Scorecard
Hard-hitting Jesse Ryder scored a quickfire half-century to help Essex seal a home tie in the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals with a seven-wicket win over Glamorgan at Cardiff.
After winning the toss the in-form South Group leaders restricted the home side to 157 for 2 before knocking off the required runs with 12 balls to spare. It was a comprehensive defeat for the Welsh county who could yet need to beat Gloucestershire in their final game next week to make the last eight.
After being put in to bat on a slow pitch Glamorgan looked to have posted a useful total with Murray Goodwin, who made 71, and Jacques Rudolph, 60, putting on 104 in 11.2 overs.
But Glamorgan were undone by the start from Ryder and Mark Pettini who made a dent in their chase by reaching 73 from the opening 33 balls. Tom Westley, with 44, and Ravi Bopara, an unbeaten 32, shared in a 60-run partnership for the third wicket to help Essex across the winning line.
After a slow start Glamorgan reached 43 for 0 at the end of the six overs of the Powerplay. But on a typically slow Cardiff pitch the openers struggled to reach the boundary rope for 22 balls before captain Jim Allenby was caught and bowled by Bopara to leave Glamorgan 53 for one in the ninth over.
Glamorgan had only reached 61 for 1 at the halfway stage but Goodwin, who was promoted up the order, gave the innings some impetus by hitting Ryder for a six baseball style back over the bowler's head.
Goodwin reverse-swept spinner Tim Phillips for four which brought up the 100 before hitting the offspinner over midwicket for six. The former Sussex man continued to accelerate the Glamorgan score striking Bopara for three consecutive fours, while Rudolph, who dropped anchor, reached his 50 off 45 balls.
Goodwin followed Rudolph with his 50 from 29 balls and struck a straight six from the penultimate ball before holing out of the final delivery of the innings.
But Goodwin and Rudolph's good work was undone as Essex made a flying start to their reply. Ryder did not hold back as he swept Michael Hogan for six and then struck Andrew Salter over long on. Ryder struck three consecutive fours off Hogan as 19 came from the fifth over.
Pettini was caught at mid-off off Allenby but it mattered little to Essex who got to more than halfway to their total with 13.2 overs remaining. Ryder holed out to Salter for 51, which came from only 28 balls with two sixes and six fours, but Essex's strong batting line-up was always too good for their hosts.

AskESPNcricinfo Logo
Instant answers to T20 questions
Essex Innings
<1 / 3>

NatWest t20 Blast

North Division
TEAMMWLPTNRR
LANCS14102220.846
NOTTS1493200.642
WORCS1484180.480
WARKS1475160.235
YORKS1465150.588
DURH1457120.106
NHNTS144711-0.899
LEICS14499-0.552
DERBS141123-1.406
South Division
TEAMMWLPTNRR
ESSEX14104200.401
SURR1495180.426
HANTS1495180.136
GLAM1465150.145
SOM146713-0.107
KENT146713-0.229
SUSS146812-0.022
GLOUC145710-0.362
MIDDX142115-0.457