Glamorgan | Jacques Rudolph (c), David Lloyd, Will Bragg, Colin Ingram, Kiran Carlson, Chris Cooke (wk), Aneurin Donald, Craig Meschede, Marchant de Lange, Timm van der Gugten, Michael Hogan.
Essex Eagles | Alastair Cook, Nick Browne, Tom Westley, Varun Chopra, Ravi Bopara, Ryan ten Doeschate (c), Ashar Zaidi, Adam Wheater (wk), Simon Harmer, Neil Wagner, Jamie Porter.
Umpires | M Burns & J Lloyds
Toss | Glamorgan won the toss and decided to bat
Result | Glamorgan won by 1 run
Audio | Centurion Chopra reflects on excruciating defeat
2nd Innings Report | Despite a superb 124 by Varun Chopra, the Eagles lost their Royal London One-Day Cup clash with Glamorgan at The Swalec by 1 run to bring an end to their unbeaten run in the competition.
Colin Ingram thrashed 142 for the home side in an innings full of belligerence that included 8 sixes and 6 fours and that carried the Welsh side to a challenging 281 for 7 wickets by the close of their innings.
The Eagles were in immediate trouble when they began their reply losing Nick Browne and Tom Westley for ducks before Chopra dispelled the crisis, figuring in two century stands. The first raised 104 in 22 overs with Alastair Cook before the England opener was caught for 37.
Then Ravi Bopara joined Chopra in a 108 runs partnership that took the total onto 214 in the 42nd over and Essex favourites to win before Bopara was dismissed in unfortunate manner. Chopra drove the ball firmly back to bowler Craig Meschade who could not hold onto the ball but instead, saw it deflected onto the wicket at the non-striker’s end where Bopara was out of his ground to be run out for 56.
Bopara had looked in serene form reaching his half-century from 42 balls assisted by a six and 4 fours but when he was dismissed, the innings capitulated alarmingly.
Adam Wheater had scored 14 when he was caught at deep mid-wicket and then two deliveries later, Chopra’s fine knock came to an end when he was bowled attempting to sweep Meschade. Chopra’s efforts deserved better than to end on the losing side. Within his first seven overs at the crease, he three times cleared the boundary ropes when facing Marchant de Lange and his fifty arrived from 59 balls with 5 fours amongst his boundary tally.
Another 59 balls took him to his third List A century for Essex and when he was eventually dismissed, he had struck 3 sixes and 13 fours whilst facing 138 deliveries.
A score of 235 for 5 in the 44th over became 275 for 8 by the time of the final over; Ashar Zaidi being dismissed for 14 and Ryan ten Doeschate for 13 both attempting huge blows.
With just 7 runs required, Harmer collected 2 from the first delivery of the 50th and final over but after two “dot” balls, he was run out for 3 after an awful mix-up with Neil Wagner that saw both batsmen at the non-striker’s end before Harmer attempted, unsuccessfully, to recover his ground. Jamie Porter collected a bye from the penultimate delivery, then 2 byes were scrambled from the last ball to leave the Eagles tantalisingly short of their target on 280 for 9.
Earlier Glamorgan, who had elected to bat, soon lost their openers, Jacques Rudolph and David Lloyd, to Wagner who went on to return figures for 4 for 58 including the wicket of the magnificent Ingram.
But it was not before the South African batsman had recorded his third List A century in successive matches in the competition against Essex as he galvanised the Glamorgan innings.
He orchestrated three half-century stands, 98 with Will Bragg for the third wicket, 67 for the fourth wicket with Kiran Carlson and 61 in 8 overs with Chris Cooke. But it was the flailing bat of Ingram that proved the defining contribution.
Amongst his maximum blows were three sixes off ten Doeschate in the penultimate over of the innings that cost 22 runs in total with two of the blows landing on the pavilion roof.
The Eagles have the opportunity of returning to winning ways when they entertain Sussex at The Cloudfm County Ground on Wednesday.
1st Innings Report | Colin Ingram thrashed a magnificent century for Glamorgan at The Swalec to ensure that the Eagles would have a demanding challenge if they are to retain their unbeaten record in this year’s Royal London One-Day Cup.
The 31 year-old South African struck 142 from 130 deliveries with 6 fours and 8 sixes as the home side closed their innings on 281 for 7 with the visitors attack feeling the full brunt of his clean hitting onslaught.
He took a couple of maximum blows off Simon Harmer and one each off Jamie Porter, Neil Wagner and Ravi Bopara but reserved his full onslaught for Ryan ten Doeschate.
The Eagles skipper conceded three sixes to Ingram in the penultimate over of the innings and two of the mighty blows landed on the pavilion roof beyond deep mid-wicket.
That over yielded 22 runs before the batsman was caught in the final over – naturally in the deep. It was Wagner that claimed the wicket to give the bowler figures of 4 for 58 but Ingram had galvanised the Glamorgan innings with verve, imagination and immaculate clean hitting.
Wagner had struck twice early on after Glamorgan had won the toss removing both openers to leave the hosts 20 for 2 in the seventh over.
In the first 14 overs, just 19 scoring strokes had been executed but Will Bragg and Ingram set about restoring semblance of order. They posted a stand of 98 in 22 overs before the former was stumped by Adam Wheater off a wide sent down by Ashar Zaidi.
Bragg made 37 but Kiran Carlson continued the good work joining Ingram in a 67 runs partnership spanning 10 overs.
Carlson went to a smart return catch by Ravi Bopara for 36 but Ingram, having completed a half-century from 75 balls with 2 sixes and 2 fours, started to step on the gas.
Together with Chris Cooke 61 were accrued in just over 7 overs before ten Doeschate had Cooke caught at long on by Harmer for 17 but Ingram was now in full flow.
His hundred took 112 balls and included 6 fours and 3 sixes before he finally signed off in search of another maximum blow only to pick out substitute fielder Callum Taylor as eighty-eight runs were accrued from the final ten overs.
It was the third time in as many innings in the competition that Ingram had posted centuries against the Eagles.
Thanks to him Essex have a demanding task ahead.
