Northamptonshire 165 for 8 (Farooqi 4-34) beat Glamorgan 162 for 8 (Douthwaite 51*, Scrimshaw 3-33) by three runs.
George Scrimshaw took 3 for 33. including two wickets in one over, amid a fiery spell of fast bowling to help bowl Northamptonshire Steelbacks to a dramatic opening victory over Glamorgan by three runs.
Scrimshaw helped peg Glamorgan's scoring rate back after a profitable powerplay as they chased 166 to win. leg-spinner Calvin Harrison taking a two-fer.
But some late fireworks from an aggressive Dan Douthwaite. who hit a brave, unbeaten 51 with five enormous sixes, took Glamorgan to the brink of victory. Scrimshaw, bowling the final over with 10 needed to win, held his nerve as the visitors lost by three runs.
Earlier Glamorgan's Afghan international Fazalhaq Farooqi masterfully used the slower ball to claim figures of 4 for 34. restrict Northamptonshire Steelbacks to 165 for eight, while there were also two wickets for Douthwaite.
The Steelbacks were indebted to vice-captain Justin Broad. playing his first senior match of the season after a back injury, top scored with 38 as the hosts lost regular wickets on a pitch where pace off gained rewards.
Glamorgan won the toss. elected to bowl, Ricardo Vasconcelos (20) getting off to a flyer, taking three boundaries off Fazalhaq's opening over.
Returning Australian Chris Lynn never looked settled and chipped Fazalhaq to extra cover. Three balls later Vasconcelos upper cut Fazalhaq to short third, the Steelbacks ending the powerplay on 36 for two.
David Willey attacked Ned Leonard,. the bowler pulled off a dazzling, diving catch at deep extra cover to dismiss the Steelbacks skipper off Douthwaite's bowling.
Wickets continued to fall. Louis Kimber was run out. then Nathan McSweeney (27), who hit one straight six, was caught off the leading edge at mid-off to leave the Steelbacks in trouble on 79 for five.
Harrison (20) though joined Broad and the pair steadied the ship in a partnership of 39 in five overs.
Harrison dispatched Douthwaite over mid-off to take Northants past 100. hit straight for six but was caught at long-on attempting another big shot against Fazalhaq.
Lewis McManus swung two huge legside sixes,. he too was caught at long-on off Timm van der Gugten attempting a third.
Broad used his crease well to engineer scoring opportunities, ramping and hitting for six over midwicket. Fazalhaq's slower ball though did for him when he chipped legside.
When Glamorgan began the chase, Ben Sanderson found some swing to dismiss Kiran Carlson who skied to deep midwicket, Colin Ingram falling next over when he gave Willey the charge. nicked behind.
The visitors looked set however as Ben Kellaway (20) joined Will Smale (24) in a 40-run stand for the third wicket. Glamorgan ending the powerplay in the ascendency on 50 for two.
Smale targeted Scrimshaw's first over, upper cutting. pulling for consecutive boundaries, but the Steelbacks stemmed the tide with a double breakthrough in the space of five balls.
First Kellaway played the switch hit against Harrison. picked out Vasconcelos on the cover point boundary, then James Sales trapped Sean Dickson lbw.
Next over Harrison also won an lbw shout against Smale as he attempted to sweep.
Wickets continued to fall as Chris Cooke flicked Scrimshaw high to Kimber who took a perfectly-judged catch on the fine leg boundary. Scrimshaw snared another wicket later in the over when van der Gugten upper cut and edged behind.
Douthwaite took Glamorgan into three figures with an attempted sweep for six off Harrison before flat batting two huge sixes off Scrimshaw to leave Glamorgan needing 48 off the final five overs.
Douthwaite continued to attack, hitting a one-handed six to leave Glamorgan needing 10 off the final over. But with Mason Crane caught behind off the first ball, Glamorgan fell just short.
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