ON THURSDAY evening Glamorgan coach Matthew Mott called on his team to support their leading lights and on Saturday night he was lauding a team effort by his Lord’s-bound charges, writes Chris Kirwan.

The Welsh county suffered a Swalec Stadium loss to Kent inside three days in Division Two of the County Championship last week.

It prompted their boss to issue a rallying cry, telling the squad to back up seamer Michael Hogan and batsmen Murray Goodwin and Jim Allenby.

Mott got the response he wanted in the Yorkshire Bank 40 semi-final at the weekend when Glamorgan beat one-day kings Hampshire by 31 runs.

“It was an outstanding effort to perform like that against a good one-day side who have won trophies recently,” said Mott.

“Jim Allenby was fantastic as man of the match (after scoring an unbeaten 74 and then taking two wickets in a miserly spell of bowling) but the contributions across the board were important.

“Ben Wright’s innings (47 not out off 28 balls) was excellent and one of his best for Glamorgan. That is great for him because he has struggled at times this season.”

Mott is returning to Australia at the end of the campaign and is relishing the chance to leave on a high by winning silverware for the first time since 2004.

“We are going to Lord’s now which everyone is excited about," he said. "But we are not just going there for a day out, we are going there to win.

“We had good travelling support for the semi-final and it was hard at times to know who the home support was.

“Everyone had told me that if we started having success you will see everyone come out in droves and hopefully we will see that Lord’s."

Glamorgan last played a final at the home of cricket in 2000 when beaten by Gloucestershire in the Benson and Hedges Cup. Their only other appearance at St John's Wood was in 1977 when beaten by Middlesex in the Gillette Cup.

“You should never take these things for granted," said Mott.

“I remember speaking to (captain and wicket-keeper) Mark Wallace who experienced success when he was a youngster in the squad.

“He presumed it was going to happen every year but it has not happened for a long time.

“These things are pretty special. I have never been to a Lord’s final and I am expecting it to be am amazing day and an amazing atmosphere."