Bragg answers emergency call in style

Will Bragg hit a limited-overs best 88 as Glamorgan claimed their second Group B win within 48 hours as they beat Surrey by three wickets at Woodbridge Road.

Fresh from beating Middlesex in their Royal London Cup opener on Saturday, Glamorgan reached their 308 target with nine balls to spare to make it two wins from as many starts.

Bragg, who was a late call-up after Jim Allenby was taken ill, hit seven fours and a six in his 103-ball knock, while Murray Goodwin also powered to 74 off 65 balls to help seal the win.

Talking afterwards, Bragg said: ``I got the call about nine o'clock this morning. My phone was dead, but my fiancee received a call from my agent saying Jim Allenby is ill. I left around 9.15am and got here at 11.45am. It was a long journey, but worth it in the end.

``One-day cricket is a funny game. It was on a knife-edge, but we got over the line. We've been showing a lot of steel all year. Now we're two from two in this competition and looking strong.''

Surrey, who were invited to bat after losing the toss, posted 307 for 8 thanks to a responsible 87 off 95 balls from Rory Burns, who struck eight fours, many of them straight back past the bowler, and a six.

Jason Roy and Steven Davies made light of losing Tillakaratne Dilshan, who had his middle stump plucked out by Graham Wagg, by adding 74 in 11 overs.

In the fourth over, Davies hit James Harris for three boundaries in the space of four deliveries, all of them square or backward of square on the off side.

Roy perished for 34, to a routine catch at deep cover in Jacques Rudolph's second over, and Vikram Solanki was run out after setting off for a single to cover.

Davies moved to a 44-ball half-century only to get caught behind off Andrew Salter, who, in tandem with Dean Cosker, then applied the brakes.

Gary Wilson, sweeping, was caught at deep backward square leg off Cosker to make it 108 for 5.

In the 26th over, Azhar Mahmood ended a nine-over spell without a boundary by reverse sweeping Salter, before it up two overs later with another four through midwicket.

Mahmood and Burns dragged Surrey back into the contest by combining for 114 in 20 overs, during which Mahmood posted a 53-ball half-century and Burns moved to his maiden one-day 50 in 72 deliveries.

Burns then lifted Bragg over midwicket for six, though not before Mahmood, pushing forward, had departed lbw to Cosker for 57.

Burns found another useful ally in Zafar Ansari, with whom he added 65 off just 40 balls for the seventh wicket.

Goodwin bagged a third catch when Ansari was caught at deep square leg off Harris for 23. Burns, shuffling across to Wagg, was bowled around his legs for 87.

Glamorgan suffered a wobble in pursuit, slipping from 246 for 4 to 268 for 7, but Wagg and Salter gave an exhibition in clean hitting to see the visitors home, despite Stuart Meaker taking 4 for 78.

The visitors lost Rudolph, playing on to Mahmood for 10, after which Bragg shared in a second-wicket stand of 66 in 13 overs with David Lloyd before laying the platform for victory with 123 in 17 overs in partnership with Goodwin.

Lloyd (32) was run out when Bragg cut Dilshan to extra cover, from where Wilson fired the ball into the wicketkeeper's gloves.

Bragg brought up his 50 off 64 balls, with the first of two successive fours off Meaker, before Goodwin cut two boundaries off Ansari and swept Dilshan for six on his way to a run-a-ball half-century.

Goodwin clipped George Edwards for two consecutive fours through the on-side before lifting the last ball over midwicket for a six in the 32nd over.

But he departed shortly after for 74, miscuing a pull to mid-on off Meaker, who then had Bragg caught behind for 88 when attempting a run-down to third man. Chris Cooke also went caught behind off Meaker to leave Glamorgan on 246 for 5.

With Ben Wright falling to a catch at slip off Ansari without scoring and Mark Wallace lofting Meaker to midwicket Glamorgan were left needing 39 off five overs.

Wagg, who made an unbeaten 37 off 35 balls, and Salter (16) not only stopped the rot, but knocked off the winning runs with ease.