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Glamorgan and Nottinghamshire secure quarter-final berths in NatWest T20 Blast

Marchant de Lange held his nerve to deliver a tense one-run victory for the Welsh side over Somerset.

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Nottinghamshire and Glamorgan became the first teams to book their places in the quarter-finals of the NatWest T20 Blast, beating Worcestershire and Somerset to guarantee a knockout spot.

South Group leaders Glamorgan were taken all the way to the wire by Somerset, but seamer Marchant de Lange held his nerve with the ball to deliver a tense one-run victory at Taunton.

The Welsh side had posted 183 for six on the back of a career-best 66 from Nick Selman but Johann Myburgh made serious inroads for the hosts with a well-paced 87.

De Lange bowled his fellow South African with the penultimate delivery of the 18th over and then, with Somerset needing just eight to win from the last over, restricted them to a miserly six.

Despite suffering more no results than any team in the competition, results elsewhere mean Glamorgan can now safely plan for the last eight.

Nottinghamshire, meanwhile, looked beatable at the halfway point after posting 145 all out at New Road.

Alex Hepburn’s five for 24 represented Worcestershire’s best ever T20 analysis, but the Outlaws leaned on their ever-reliable bowling attack to claim a fifth successive win.

They duly restricted the chase to 134 for eight, Harry Gurney closing out an 11-run victory with a fine last over after Dan Christian took three middle-order scalps.

Nottinghamshire are certain to progress from the North Group now, with 18 points and seven wins from 13 matches.

Struggling Surrey received a shot in the arm as Aaron Finch’s unbeaten 114, from just 64 balls, carried them past Sussex.

England’s Jason Roy also chipped in with 50 as he and Finch put on 102 for the first wicket at the Kia Oval.

The visitors fell well short on 176 for seven as veteran spinner Gareth Batty claimed for four for 24.

Birmingham Bears remained on course for the knockout stage with a regulation defeat of rock-bottom Durham.

The Bears raced past the home team’s modest 145 for eight with 31 balls to spare and eight wickets intact.

Openers Ed Pollock and Dom Sibley did the bulk of the heavy lifting, scoring twin half-centuries as Ryan Pringle took two consolation wickets.

Essex also made short work of chasing against Gloucestershire at Bristol.

Set a trifling 122 for victory, Jamie Porter having returned career-best figures of four for 20, Essex got there with 22 balls unbowled and Varun Chopra top-scoring with 44.

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