Glamorgan v Essex Eagles
Vitality Blast
Tuesday 07 August
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Glamorgan Team | Aneurin Donald, Craig Meschede, Colin Ingram (c), Kiran Carlson, Chris Cooke (wk), Nick Selman, Graham Wagg, Andrew Salter, Ruaidhri Smith, Timm van der Gugten, Michael Hogan.
Essex Eagles Team | Adam Wheater (wk), Varun Chopra, Paul Walter, Ryan ten Doeschate, Michael Pepper Ravi Bopara, Ashar Zaidi, Simon Harmer, Peter Siddle, Adam Zampa, Matt Quinn.
Toss | Essex Eagles won the toss and elected to bowl
Umpires | Ian Blackwell & Michael Gough
Match Report:
In an exciting finish at Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan won their fourth successive game, and sixth in all, to advance to third place in the Southern Group with four games remaining. With 23 needed from the final over, Ravi Bopara did his best by striking ten from the first two balls, but Michael Hogan held his nerve for the next four deliveries.
Essex, needing to score at 10 runs an over, after Glamorgan had scored a creditable 198 for 7, lost Adam Wheater in Rory Smith’s second over, and he was followed Paul Walter who was well caught by Donald from Meschede’s first ball after the power play.
The visitors were 89 for 2 at the halfway stage,with Chopra and Ten Doeschate settling into an useful partnership, with Chopra reaching his half century from 55 balls. They added 62 for the third wicket before Ten Doeschate was bowled, taking a wild swing at one of Ingram’s leg breaks.
Essex lost their fourth wicket in the next over, when Chopra, who made 54, top edged an intended pull from Van Der Gugten to wicketkeeper Cooke, and with five overs remaining, the visitors required a further 70 runs.
But they lost another wicket when Zaidi holed out at long on, but Bopara and Harmer kept on attacking and 32 were needed from the final two overs. After Wagg dismissed Harmer, it was up to Bopara, with 24 runs needed from the final six balls. After they were asked to bat, Glamorgan soon lost their openers in Matt Quin’s opening over.
Craig Meschede was deceived by a slower ball, then Aneurin Donald, driving too early, was well caught low down by Simon Harmer.
Ingram however was soon into his stride, striking a flurry of boundaries, racing to 54 from just 21 balls as Glamorgan reached 71 for 2 at the end of the power play. The unfortunate Quinn, after taking the early wickets was smashed for 30 in his second over, all struck by Ingram.
Kiran Carlson helped Ingram add 85 in seven overs for the third wicket, before Carlson, had contributed only 11, was caught on the mid- wicket boundary. Ravi Bopara then struck twice for Essex as he had Chris Cook caught at fine leg and with his next ball trapped Nick Selman leg before.
Peter Siddle then ended Ingram’s excellent innings when the Glamorgan captain pulled a short deliver to fine leg- a knock that included nine fours and five sixes from 47 balls. When he departed no other batsman had struck a boundary, a statistic that illustrated how much Ingram had dominated the innings.
At 136 for 7, Essex were back in contention, but Graham Wagg and Rory Smith the accelerated by adding 62 for the eighth wicket, with 60 coming in the final three overs, and Wagg reaching his fifty from 28 balls.
