Glamorous Glammy?

The international break is a week where we all come together - forgetting all club rivalry - and cheer on our nation whether it be a World Cup qualifier or European Championship quarter final. Hopes are raised and far too often false dawns leave many exasperated. Or, like me, you could be Welsh.

Supporting Wales can be like watching porn with the sound off. It’s not like supporting any other country. No one seems to be bothered and home games against European powerhouses such as Macedonia are poorly attended. This is a far cry from the rugby side who I’m sure would play to a near full house every week.

Of course there is no Welsh national cricket team and although we are incorporated under the umbrella of the ECB there is a distinct lack of identity associated with Welsh cricket.

Step up Glamorgan CCC: the one county from the principality that play County cricket and the only professional cricket team in Wales.

They remind me of the football boys, they go about their business, play their games, if they win it’s a bonus. Every new campaign there is a buzz in the air; the supporters almost foolishly believe that this year is theirs.

Lord's beckons for Glamorgan

2012 was the ‘Year of the Dragon’ apparently. Unfortunately it turned out as the usual year of mid-table obscurity. There was however a genuine glimmer of hope that this season could be a trophy winning season.

Close season acquisitions of Michael Hogan and the evergreen Murray Goodwin was a signal that they would have a bloody good go at things. It was also a realisation that they need to add a bit of steel and experience to the ranks.

On paper they had a good team. Marcus North was back – this time for a big chunk of the season and Jim Allenby was in blistering form. A faltering start in the County Championship ignored, they got off to a flyer in the t20 before almost inevitably falling away.

So imagine my surprise a couple of weeks ago when I logged in to Cricinfo and saw Glamorgan were playing in the YB40 semi-final. They went very Glamorgan-like and went under the radar, worried that any hype would scare the bejesus out of them and they’d throw it all away.

They went on to beat Hampshire in the semi by 31 runs and set up a final against Nottinghamshire on Saturday and although they won’t be favourites to take the title, they will definitely go hard.

With the returning Gareth Rees – somehow left out of the side for the first few months of the season – and club captain Mark Wallace opening the batting, they can set the stall for Goodwin and Allenby to have a dip. Add to this the ever maturing Ben Wright and big runs can be scored.

Cosker...wily old fox!

The bowling department is arguably one of the strongest in Division Two this year. Hogan and Wagg can be the destroyers with the wily old fox Dean Cosker and his apprentice Andrew Salter can do the tweaking.

I am confident that cricket fans will open their arms and clear their throats. It’s time to make our country proud, lads.