Big sixes might be the main currency of t20 but Arul Suppiah, with his part-time slow left-armers, cashed in with world-record figures in the abbreviated form of six for five from 3.4 overs as Glamorgan’s ten wickets fell to Somerset’s three-pronged spin attack.
Glamorgan Dragons were spun out for just 98 in 17.4 of their 18 overs in a match reduced by rain. Suppiah’s figures bettered Sohail Tanvir’s six for 14 for Rajasthan against Chennai in Jaipur three years ago.
It was a remarkable display, but on a slow, spiteful pitch that was being used for its third t20 contest. Two of Suppiah’s victims were caught at slip with one bowled and another stumped in a pretty pitiful display by the Dragons, who have sunk to four straight defeats in the competition. While Suppiah made history Murali Kartik, the rather better-known slow left-armer, more than played his part, too. He finished with two for 15 from his four overs, conceding 13 singles and a two in a truly miserly display.
There were also two wickets for Max Waller, the leg spinner, as Glamorgan, in front of another poor crowd, had no answer to the turning ball apart from Gareth Rees, the left hander, who top-scored with 34 from 20 balls.
The Welsh county’s spinners did their best to match Somerset’s achievements and caused some jitters in the away dugout by reducing them to 44 for four in the eighth over.
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Glamorgan thought they might be in with a chance of a remarkable turnaround when Dean Cosker, the slow left-armer, removed Marcus Trescothick caught at short fine leg, and then Robert Croft , the off spinner, struck twice in two overs to dismiss Peter Trego and Kartik, who had been promoted up the order. Like Glamorgan, all Somerset’s wickets were taken by the spinners.
But Kieron Pollard, with three fours in an over from Simon Jones, gradually guided Somerset home with 21 balls to spare. It was an important victory for the West Country county after they had sunk to defeats against Essex and Gloucestershire in their previous two encounters.
Somerset, second in the South Group, now have two matches remaining against Middlesex and Gloucestershire to secure a home quarter-final spot.
Glamorgan
M J Cosgrove c Kirby b Waller 9
*A N Petersen c Waller b Kartik 0
G P Rees lbw b Waller 34
J Allenby c Hildreth b Suppiah 27
†M A Wallace st Buttler b Kartik 2
C B Cooke c Waller b Suppiah 3
J A R Harris c Trescothick b Suppiah 3
R D B Croft c Trescothick b Suppiah 4
D A Cosker not out 6
S P Jones b Suppiah 0
A J Jones st Buttler b Suppiah 3
Extras (b 1, lb 2, w 4) 7
Total (17.4 overs) 98
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-41, 3-54, 4-72, 5-77, 6-82, 7-82, 8-91, 9-91.
Bowling: Kartik 4-0-15-2; Kirby 2-0-8-0; Gregory 1-0-14-0; Waller 4-0-32-2; Pollard 3-0-21-0; Suppiah 3.4-0-5-6.
Somerset
*M E Trescothick c Croft b Cosker 16
P D Trego c Cooke b Croft 2
M Kartik lbw b Croft 11
J C Hildreth c Cosgrove b Petersen 2
C Meschede c Petersen b Croft 13
K A Pollard not out 31
†J C Buttler not out 8
Extras (lb 3, w 4) 7
Total (5 wkts, 14.3 overs) 99
A V Suppiah, L Gregory, M T C Waller and S P Kirby did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-30, 3-42, 4-44, 5-75.
Bowling: Cosker 4-0-27-1; Petersen 4-0-21-1; Croft 3-1-9-3; Jones 1.3-0-18-0; Jones 1-0-12-0; Rees 1-0-9-0.
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Umpires: S C Gale and R T Robinson.