Lynn secures Northants' knock-out berth as Glamorgan are made to wait

Chris Lynn made his fourth Blast hundred for Northants Getty Images

Northamptonshire 217 for 7 (Lynn 117, Kellaway 3-22) beat Glamorgan 164 (Harrison 3-20) by 53 runs

Chris Lynn's record-breaking century secured a home quarter-final in the Vitality Blast for the Northamptonshire Steelbacks with two games to spare, after a comfortable win by 53 runs in Cardiff.

The veteran Australian opener lived up to reputation earned with a career tally of more than 9000 T20 runs with 117 from 56 balls, the highest individual score by a Northants batter, on their way to 217 for 7. Calvin Harrison, the other standout performer of the Steelbacks' campaign ensured the chase was shut out early with 3 for 20 as Glamorgan were bowled out by 164.

Northants bounced back from their only defeat in the competition to get their ninth win and secure top spot in the Central & West group, but Glamorgan's fate comes down to the final two games with second and third spot in the hands of Worcestershire Rapids and Gloucestershire.

Lynn was supported from the off by Ricardo Vasconcelos for a fast-starting powerplay. Glamorgan attempted an experiment to take out the dangerous Lynn, but Asa Tribe's second over of the match was hit for three consecutive boundaries over cover.

Ben Kellaway impressed for the home side with the ball. After conceding just three in the opening over, he then went on to take 3 for 22, ending a partnership of 56 between the centurion and Saif Zaib - Lynn earlier put on 58 for the first wicket before Vasconcelos skied McAndrew in the final over of the powerplay.

Lewis McManus had a late flurry to keep the pace of the innings, with Northants certain to pass 200.

Kiran Carlson started by motoring at over a 200 strike-rate, as has been the theme for his season, but sacrificed Will Smale in a mix-up in the process. The captain's mistimed flick offered a simple return catch for Harrison who impressed in the wickets column and once again with a remarkable economy for a leg-spinner.

The Steelbacks caught especially well: Tribe removed by a diving catch at deep-square, Cooke was held onto off a skier from Harrison and Zaib held onto a one-handed caught-and-bowled in his impressive spell of 2 for 27, playing second fiddle to his spin partner.

James Sales kept his wicket tally ticking to 20, as he bowled the dangerous counter-attacker Dan Douthwaite before Nathan McAndrew fell for a battling 36. The hosts fell well short despite a 40-run partnership for the ninth wicket.

Glamorgan 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st34KS CarlsonWT Smale
2nd31KS CarlsonBI Kellaway
3rd14AM TribeBI Kellaway
4th9SR DicksonBI Kellaway
5th9CB CookeSR Dickson
6th9JDS NeeshamCB Cooke
7th2CB CookeDA Douthwaite
8th10N McAndrewDA Douthwaite
9th40T van der GugtenN McAndrew
10th6MS CraneN McAndrew

Twenty20 Cup (England)

Central & West Group
TeamMWLPTNRR
NOR972280.557
GLO954200.024
SOM945160.193
WAR94516-0.005
WOR94516-0.585
GLA93612-0.171
Cross Pool
TeamMWLPTNRR
NOR22083.425
GLO22082.825
WOR22082.525
SOM22081.669
GLA22080.777
NOT22080.496
DUR21142.325
WAR21141.772
LEI21140.117
SUR21140.05
HAM2114-0.674
ESS2114-3.04
DER2020-0.908
LAN2020-1.5
YOR2020-1.564
KEN2020-2.434
SUS2020-2.51
MID2020-3.278
North Group
TeamMWLPTNRR
YOR962261.215
NOT963240.213
LAN95322-0.121
DUR945160.1
DER925120.421
LEI9278-1.835
South Group
TeamMWLPTNRR
SUR963241.098
HAM963240.504
ESS954201.019
KEN94516-0.562
MID93612-1.012
SUS93610-0.964