One-Day final heads to reserve day after washout at Trent Bridge

Somerset vs Glamorgan – no play possible

The 2024 Metro Bank Final between Somerset and Glamorgan has been forced into a reserve day after no play was possible on Sunday at Trent Bridge.

Heavy rains and thunderstorms across the United Kingdom were felt particularly harshly in the Midlands, meaning not even the toss was possible as the pitch and square remained under covers, with consistent showers preventing any attempt at a clean-up.

The teams will return on Monday to attempt a full 50-overs contest, but more inclement weather is expected. In the event of a no-result, Somerset (50-over champions in 2019) and Glamorgan (2013 champions) would share the trophy. Fortunately, there will be enough medals for both teams due to a surplus from last year.

Previously, in such circumstances, the winner would have been decided in a bowl-out. However, the ECB removed that option ahead of the 2024 season when introducing reserve days across all men’s and women’s limited-overs finals. Speaking in November, ECB operations manager Alan Fordham had hoped they would not be required: “Every knockout match has a reserve day, but it’s remarkable how little reserve days are actually required,” he said. “Hopefully, I’m not leaving myself a hostage to fortune.”

It will be the third occurrence of a reserve day being used for a men’s List A final, and the first use of one in men’s domestic cricket since the Vitality Blast Final in 2020. Last summer’s Charlotte Edwards Cup also had to be completed on the reserve day.

Play was eventually abandoned without a ball being bowled at 2:33pm – when the rain was at its worst – as the time needed to dry the ground would have exceeded the 4:02pm cut-off point. Had any play been possible, the match would have begun as a 50-a-side affair and spilled over into Monday before any reduction in the playing conditions would have been implemented.

For Somerset, the wait for silverware goes on – albeit for another 24 hours – with the One-Day Cup now the only trophy standing in a bid for hat-trick of titles that was derailed last week. Last Saturday’s defeat in the Blast final to Gloucestershire was followed by defeat to Lancashire which handed Surrey their third consecutive County Championship with a round to spare.

Glamorgan, meanwhile, could do with something to cheer. They failed to make it out of the South Group in the Blast and are currently second-bottom in Division Two heading into the last round.

Both teams brought three coaches’ worth of fans along on Sunday. Around 200 Somerset fans set off from Taunton at 6:10am, while Glamorgan had two buses leaving Cardiff at 6am, and one from Swansea which arrived on Saturday and will remain overnight in the hope that Monday’s forecast is a dud.

Vithushan Ehantharajah is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo