TWENTY20 CUP MID/WEST/WALES DIVISION, New Road:
Worcestershire 222-4 beat Glamorgan 121-6 by 101 runs (Worcs 2pts)

Home skipper Vikram Solanki took just 47 balls to hit his first Twenty20 ton

Worcestershire skipper Vikram Solanki hit a stunning first Twenty20 Cup century to keep his side's hopes of a quarter-final place alive.

Solanki hit 100 off 48 balls as the home side piled up 222-4, overtaking Hampshire's 219-2 as the highest score so far in this year's Twenty20 Cup.

Admirable support came first from Steven Davies (32 in 18 balls), then Stephen Moore (49 in 30).

And, despite Robert Croft's 51, the visitors never got close on 121-6.

Solanki, one of three Worcestershire players in the England Lions squad to meet Australia on their home ground next week, treated the crowd to a marvellous exhibition.

Chief sufferer in the visiting attack was Garnett Kruger, whose 12 balls went for 32.

Kruger was struck by the unrelenting Solanki for five consecutive fours off in the fourth over of the innings to begin the massacre as Glamorgan folded to their seventh defeat in eight games - their sixth in a row since their only group win against Gloucestershire.

Few players time their shots as well as the always stylish Solanki. And, although not quite fulfilled with only two hundreds in 51 one-day internationals for England, he continues to be among the most destructive batsmen in the county game.

His first century in the short format - packed with 14 fours and two sixes - took him beyond 1,000 runs in Twenty20 cricket and gave Worcestershire the impetus to go past 200 for only the fourth time in the competition.

It was their best effort since piling up 227-6 v Northamptonshire at Kidderminster two years ago, a game in which Graeme Hick, almost matched by fellow century-maker Lance Klusener in a narrow, five-run home win, hit one of his two Twenty20 tons.

And Worcestershire failed by just a run to match their best Twenty20 score at New Road, 223-9, also against Glamorgan four years ago, when Ben Smith was the night's star centurion.

Worcestershire now join a four-way tie at the top of the Midlands/Wales/West Division.

Northants, Somerset and Warwickshire, who they meet at New Road on Friday (1730 BST) all have 10 points.

Worcestershire skipper Vikram Solanki:

"Recently I haven't got the runs I'd like but I started well and just went on from there.

"Getting a call for the England Lions team this week was a pleasant surprise.

"It's nice to be involved with England in any way, shape or form and being at Worcester too to play the Australians on 1 July makes it even better."

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