Hamish Rutherford ended his third spell with Worcestershire CCC in superb style with a magnificent century, but Glamorgan edged out the Rapids in their final Vitality Blast fixture of the season.
The New Zealand opener hit four sixes and 11 fours in making exactly 100 from 62 balls in a brilliant display of hitting.
It was the second T20 ton of his career and fell just short of his career-best 106 for Otago against Central Districts at New Plymouth four years ago.
Rutherford received excellent support from Jake Libby in a dazzling second-wicket partnership of 101 in nine overs as the Rapids totalled an impressive 190-3.
Glamorgan openers Nick Selman and David Lloyd gave their side an excellent platform in reply with a stand of 120 in 13 overs and then some late six-hitting by Dan Douthwaite earned their side a six-wicket win with two balls to spare.
Rapids Head Coach Alex Gidman said: “When you get 190 on the board although it was a really good cricket wicket and a quick scoring ground, disappointed for the lads after that batting effort that we didn’t manage to get the victory.
“Hamish (Rutherford) played really well. Understandably it took him a little while to get going (after he arrived) being in another country and the limitations on practice matches for us before the tournament started.
“He has finished the competition really well and when someone gets a 100 in T20 cricket, to be on a losing side is a real tough one for him.”
Rapids captain Ed Barnard elected to bat on the same wicket for last weekend’s derby with Birmingham Bears.
Rutherford immediately set the tone of his innings with a six over long-on off Andrew Salter and two sweeps for four in an over costing 16 runs.
He then smote Ruaidhri Smith over the mid-wicket boundary and scored 26 of the first 28 runs.
Smith received the same treatment in his next over from Jack Haynes who had a let-off when dropped at point off the next delivery on 10.
It was not a costly drop as Haynes (12) was caught off a top edge at third man off Timm van der Gugten.
Rutherford went onto complete an excellent half-century off 33 balls in an over costing 20 runs from Salter.
He hit the spinner for a straight six and the second of two fours in the same over took him to his second Vitality Blast fifty of the summer. It contained three sixes and six fours.
Libby immediately got into his stride with two cuts to the ropes in an over from the returning Sisodiya as the Rapids 100 came up in 12th over.
Libby had raced to 47 off 26 balls with one six and six fours when he holed out to deep mid-wicket off van der Gugten.
Rutherford’s century came up with a cut for four off van der Gugten before he departed to a catch at deep point from the next delivery.
When Glamorgan launched their reply, openers David Lloyd and Nick Selman gave their side a positive start in chasing such a daunting target.
Daryl Mitchell broke the stand when Lloyd (56) picked out Haynes at deep mid-wicket.
Pat Brown returned to the attack and struck with successive balls as Andrew Balbirnie (23) and Kiran Carlson (0) were caught at deep mid-wicket and mid-off by Ross Whiteley and Haynes respectively.
Selman (78) departed to a catch by Rutherford at mid-off from the bowling of Charlie Morris, and 26 were needed from the final overs, but some big hitting from Dan Douthwaite clinched victory for Glamorgan.
