Cricket: Glamorgan claim share of record: Maynard leads the way to 12th successive victory that keeps his county two points clear in the chase for the Sunday league title

Glamorgan 242-2; Gloucestershire 211

Glamorgan win by 31 runs

GLAMORGAN equalled Middlesex's record of 12 successive Sunday League victories here yesterday with a 31-run win over Gloucestershire. With Kent victorious at Old Trafford the competition seems destined to go to the wire though few would have predicted five months ago that Glamorgan would have been one of the contenders.

Set to score 243 for victory after restricting Glamorgan to 242 for 9, Gloucestershire were bowled out for 211 in 47.5 overs.

Simon Hinks did his best to offer a helping hand to his former Kent team-mates with a sparkling 62 off only 51 deliveries that at one stage threatened not only to end Glamorgan's run of success but also to ensure an early end to the proceedings.

Opening the innings with Tony Wright, Hinks was in majestic mood. He took an instant liking to some mediocre fare sent down by Steve Watkin and Steve Barwick and struck two sixes and nine fours in a forceful knock that ended when he turned the first ball he received from Dale straight to Viv Richards on the square-leg boundary. When he left with the total on 82 in the 18th over, Gloucestershire were well in touch with the required run rate. His departure soon altered that.

Mark Alleyene, Richard Scott and Tim Hancock all made useful contributions but were forced to sacrifice themselves in an unsuccessful attempt to regain the momentum initiated by Hinks.

Matthew Maynard was again the pick of the Glamorgan batsmen on a day when too many of his colleagues played themselves in and, as the big score beckoned, promptly played themselves out.

Maynard arrived at the fall of the second wicket with the total of 84 in the 21st over and took Glamorgan to 217 in the 47th over before he skied a catch to Hancock in the covers off Michael Smith.

His 69 represented his sixth half-century in 11 Sunday League innings this summer and, in the process, he passed 500 League runs for the season while hitting two sixes and five fours from the 75 deliveries he received.

Maynard was involved in a succession of partnerships, several of which seemed on the point of putting Glamorgan out of Gloucestershire's reach. The perseverance of the bowlers, Smith in particular, ensured that they did not and the most productive was a stand of 42 with Robert Croft for the sixth wicket.

Smith, who finished with 4 for 56, was at one point on a hat-trick. He had Colin Metson caught at long-on by Ricky Williams and bowled Roland Lefebvre with his next delivery. It took a plaintive prod by Barwick to deny him the third scalp.