Essex v Glamorgan | Specsavers County Championship | The Essex County Ground
Essex team | Nick Browne (10), Varun Chopra (6), Tom Westley (21), Ravi Bopara (25), Dan Lawrence (28), Ryan ten Doeschate* (27), Adam Wheater (31), James Foster + (7), Graham Napier (17), David Masters (9), Jamie Porter (44).
Glamorgan team | Nick Selman (9), Jacques Rudolph* (4), Will Bragg (22), Aneurin Donald (12), David Lloyd (14), Kiran Carlson (-), Craig Meschede (44), Mark Wallace + (18), Owen Morgan (29), Timm van der Gugten (64). Michael Hogan (31).
Toss | Toss contested, Glamorgan won the toss and bat
Umpires | Russell Evans & Steve O’Shaughnessy
Day Four | Close of Play Report
An enthralling match ended with Essex losing by 11 runs in their Division Two Championship battle against Glamorgan at The Essex County Ground.
Left chasing a target of 264, they were bowled out for 252 with 19 deliveries remaining.
The last pair of David Masters and Jamie Porter came together with 35 still required but they were denied victory when the latter was yorked by Timm van der Gugten.
Having clinched the title two days earlier by picking up six bonus points, Essex would not been too upset by their defeat, while Glamorgan will have been jubilant having lost five wickets for 34 on the opening day.
Essex seemed poised for a fourth successive victory as Varun Chopra and Nick Browne took the score to 91 before being separated.
But after Browne was caught by Will Bragg in the slips off van der Gugten for 30 – an innings that saw him pass 1,000 Championship runs for the second successive season – wicket fell at regular intervals as the Welsh county seized the initiative.
Tom Westley and Ravi Bopara found themselves back in the Pavilion before the 100 was amassed, lbw victims of Michael Hogan and van der Gugten respectively and that paved the way for Hogan to make a telling impact.
First he bowled Chopra for 79, an innings containing 10 boundaries, before ripping out the middle order on his way to final figures of 5 for 45 from 22 overs.
Dan Lawrence was bowled for 30, Adam Wheater fell to a return catch after a patient 18 and Ryan ten Doeschate chased a wide delivery to be caught behind by mark Wallace for 23.
That left Graham Napier, in his final match, to walk out with Glamorgan players providing a guard of honour. But there was to be no fairytale ending.
Nursing a calf strain and with Lawrence acting as a runner, he had scored 12 before he was eighth out on 223 as van der Gugten trapped lbw on his way to figures of 4 for 56.
When James Foster edged Craig Meschede to Wallace six runs later, Masters, who was also given a guard of honour, and Porter found themselves trying to pull off a famous victory
But despite their efforts, Essex were left reflecting on their third Championship of the season.
Earlier Glamorgan added just three more runs in the morning after resuming on 293 for 9, Wallace being run out for 79 attempting a second run after he struck 11 fours.
Day Four | Tea Report
Champions Essex added 62 runs in the post-lunch session but lost four wickets to arrive at tea on 154 for 5 with Adam Wheater 2 not out and Ryan ten Doeschate 3 not out.
The home side suffered two setbacks immediately after lunch with Tom Westley and Ravi Bopara both falling cheaply.
Westley was leg before to Michael Hogan for a duck while Bopara, who had scored a single, departed in similar manner to a delivery that kept low from Timm van der Gugten.
That left the county 98-3 and as the county continued to stutter, two more wickets went down before the 150 was raised.
Dan Lawrence, who did not look entirely comfortable and benefited from a couple of fortuitous edges was bowled by Hogan for 30 and the fast bowler struck again to end the fine innings fashioned by Varun Chopra.
The opener had scored 79 from 128 balls with the assistance of 10 fours before he lost his off stump.
His departure left Essex 147 for 5 and still 117 short of their target.
It was announced at tea that Ryan ten Doeschate has signed a year’s extension to his contract that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2018 season.
Day Four | Lunch Report
Division Two champions Essex were closing in on their fourth successive victory after being left a target of 264 to beat Glamorgan at The E.C.G.
They reached lunch on 92 for one, Nick Browne falling to the last ball before the interval when he was caught in the slips by Will Bragg dabbing at a Timm van der Gugten delivery.
Browne made 30 and as he reached 20 he was able to celebrate 1,000 Championship runs for the season.
Chopra, having returned to the county following his release by Warwickshire, batted with increasing confidence to arrive at the interval on 58 from 83 balls. He has so far struck nine boundaries.
Earlier Glamorgan added just three more runs on resuming on 293 for 9. The innings was brought to an end when Mark Wallace was run out for 78 attempting a second run after steering David Masters to deep backward point.
But the accurate throw from Dan Lawrence left James Foster to complete the run out as the batsman made a despairing dive to reach his ground.
Wallace’s innings included 11 fours and spanned 91 balls.
Essex will resume after lunch requiring a further 172 to win with two sessions of play remaining.
Day Three Review | Jamie Porter hopes Essex will complete the win on the final day’s play
Day Three | Close of Play Report
Having claimed the Division Two title yesterday, Essex go into the final day of the battle with Glamorgan at The Essex County Ground, hoping to secure a fourth successive Championship victory.
The Welsh county reached the close on 293 for 9, an overall lead of 260 and with the new ball due immediately in the morning, Essex will be hoping to remove the last pair before setting out on the quest to secure the seventh Championship win of the season.
After Essex had been bowled out for 319 to earn a first innings lead of 33, they pressed home their advantage through the valiant efforts of Ryan ten Doeschate, Jamie Porter, David Masters and Ravi Bopara on another stamina sapping day.
Following the early departure of Nick Selman, a victim of Masters, Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg carried the total well into three figures before Essex were able to celebrate another wicket. And then both batsmen were dismissed in ten Doeschate’s opening over. The first delivery had Rudolph chopping the ball onto his stumps when he had scored 56 and his sixth delivery saw Bragg edging to James Foster for 54, immediately after reaching his 1,000 Championship runs for the season.
That left the visitors 130 for three and pointed the way to a collapse which saw them recoil to 163 for 7. Porter bowled Aneurin Donald, then Kiran Carlson was caught behind off Bopara before Foster was able to celebrate his third victim of the innings as Porter found the edge of Craig Meschede’s bat to remove his opponent for a duck.
When David Lloyd was removed leg before by Bopara for 25, it seemed odds on that Glamorgan would be bowled out cheaply.
But their lower order, inspired by Mark Wallace, performed manfully to make a superb fight of it.
An eighth wicket stand with Owen Morgan produced 54 runs before Masters trapped the latter leg before for 18 and then Timm van der Gugten joined Wallace to put together a half-century stand. They added 68 before van der Gugten was dismissed just before the close for 32 by the spin of Dan Lawrence as Bopara accepted an easy catch at mid-off.
Wallace, having completed his half-century from 49 balls and gathered 11 fours, will continue his innings in the morning having scored 75 with Michael Hogan still to get off the mark.
Earlier in the day, Essex had resumed on 275 for 6 and ten Doeschate added 8 runs to his overnight unbeaten century before he fell to van der Gugten for 117 after hitting 12 fours.
Graham Napier departed without score to Meschede, then Masters offered a return catch to Hogan while Foster, whose partnership with ten Doeschate had produced 104 runs, was last out for 64 to leave Meschede with career-best figures of 5 for 84.
Although the Division Two champions will have been disappointed that the Glamorgan tail wagged so freely, they still have every reason to be satisfied with their efforts on a day when leading wicket-taker Napier was unable to bowl due to his calf strain.
Day Three | Tea Report
Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg shared in a 91 run partnership for the second wicket after lunch before it was brought to an end.
The visitors had resumed on 36 for 1 and it was Essex captain Ryan ten Doeschate who achieved the breakthrough with his first delivery of the innings. Rudolph had just completed his half-century with 10 fours, many of them well-times drives, when – with his score on 56 – he played on attempting another aggressive stroke.
With the last ball of the same over, Glamorgan lost another wicket when Will Bragg edged a ten Doeschate delivery into the gloves of James Foster to depart for 54 although during that innings, he completed 1,000 Championship runs for the season.
Bragg’s innings contained eight boundaries and left Glamorgan 130 for 3.
Nineteen runs later, Essex struck again to leave them nursing hopes that they could still force victory.
This time it was Jamie Porter who struck when he bowled Aneurin Donald for eight.
Tea arrived with the Welsh county 150 for 4 and an overall lead of 117 runs.
David Lloyd will resume on 13 and Kiran Carlson is 1 not out.
Day Three | Lunch Report
Newly crowned Division 2 Champions Essex gained a narrow first innings lead of 33 over Glamorgan in their clash at The Essex County Ground.
Resuming on 275 for 6, they were bowled out for 319 in response to Welsh county’s 286.
Skipper Ryan ten Doeschate carried his overnight score to 117 containing a dozen boundaries in an effort spanning 171 balls before he fell leg before wicket to Timm van der Gugten.
His partnership with James Foster was worth 104 in 34 overs during which he recorded his fourth Championship hundred of the summer.
Graham Napier, who was absent yesterday because of a calf injury, arrived in the middle to take ten Doeschate’s place but was still looking to get off the mark when he was dismissed by Craig Meschde when he cut a ball to deep third man.
David Masters joined Foster and a third batting point was achieved before Masters was caught and bowled by Michael Hogan for 4. Foster’s innings of 64 lasting 162 minutes that included five fours and two sixes, was last out attacking Meschede. It was a success that gave the paceman career-best figures of 5 for 84.
When they went in again, Nick Selman and Jacques Rudolph cleared the arrears without alarm but immediately afterwards, Spelman was trapped leg before by Masters in the final over before lunch and taken with the visitors 36 for 1 and Rudolph 27 not out.
Day Two | Match Highlights
Day Two Reaction | Chris Silverwood talks after Essex clinch promotion
Day Two | Close of Play Report
Essex are Division Two champions. They clinched the title at 5.27 p.m. when they reached 250 in their reply to Glamorgan’s 286 all out total at The E.C.G.
That enabled them to claim their fifth bonus point of the match and that guaranteed them a place in the top-flight following a 7-year absence.
Fittingly, it was skipper Ryan ten Doeschate who scored the run which secured the title after he arrived to do battle with his side in trouble at 85 for 5.
His response was to move beyond 50 for the seventh successive match as he went on to reach 109 not out by the close of play. It was his fifth Championship century of the campaign and this one arrived for 137 deliveries and contained 15 fours.
He received fine support from Adam Wheater upon his return from Hampshire and their partnership was to end Glamorgan’s hopes of building on their early successes.
Wheater marked his re-association with Essex with several meaty blows in a partnership of 100 in 26 overs. His 59 included 8 boundaries and came to an end when he square cut spinner Owen Morgan into the hands of Nick Selman at point.
Wheater’s departure heralded the arrival of James Foster who was to strike the first 6 of the match – that against Michael Hogan – as he and his captain ensured Essex would be gracing the First Division next season.
The captain’s magnificent effort came after Craig Meschade had whipped out the top order with three wickets with only 34 on the board.
Varun Chopra, back with the county following his release by Warwickshire, was trapped lbw for a single, Tom Westley was caught behind by Mark Wallace, and the same combination accounted for Nick Browne.
When Dan Lawrence was well caught by Anueirin Donald off Timm van der Gugten for 9 and Ravi Bopara was stumped for 25 when facing the spin of Morgan, Essex looked in serious trouble.
But ten Doeschate, Wheater and Foster were to end fears of a major calamity, Essex ending the day on 275 for 6, just 11 runs behind. Foster will resume tomorrow on 33, the stand so far worth 90.
Earlier Glamorgan lost their remaining wickets for the addition of 30 runs after resuming on 256 for 7.
Jamie Porter brought to an end a partnership of 138 between Kiran Carlson and Morgan by uprooting the latter’s middle stump for 55.
Then David Masters polished off the innings by having Carlson caught behind for 119 and bowling Hogan to end with 2 for 58, Napier claimed 4 for 46 and Porter 3 for 67.
Day Two | Tea Report
Essex reached the tea interval on 170 for 5 having added 124 runs in the afternoon session whilst losing two wickets.
The first victim of the afternoon was Dan Lawrence who had made only nine when he was well caught at second slip by Aneurin Donald off Timm van Der Gugten to leave Essex 63 for 4.
Ravi Bopara had moved to 25 without looking in any trouble but then fell victim to an ugly stroke against Morgan and was easily stumped by Mark Wallace.
That left the county 85 for 5 but Adam Wheater, playing his first innings since his return from Hampshire, carried the total into three figures with the help of a couple of fine drives.
But he should have departed on 23. He skied a long hop to van Der Gugten who got a hand on it at mid-on but was unable to complete the catch.
Wheater made good his escape and together with skipper Ryan ten Doeschate, a half-century stand was realised in 13 overs. The landmark was reached by ten Doeschate sweeping Morgan to the boundary as he joined Wheater in the 30’s.
Wheater then drove and glanced to the boundary before completing his 50 from 83 deliveries with 8 fours.
At tea, he was 53 not out and ten Doeschate 43, the interval arriving with Essex needing a further 80 runs to clinch the two batting points needed to claim the Division Two title.
Day Two | Lunch Report
Leaders Essex did not get off to the best of starts when they replied to Glamorgan’s total of 286 all out in their Division Two County Championship duel at Chelmsford.
They lost Varun Chopra for a single, Tom Westley for four and Nick Browne for 22 with only 34 runs in the board and all were victims to Craig Meschade before the home side arrived at lunch on 46 for three.
Resuming on 256 for seven, the visitors lost Owen Morgan in the third over of the morning as Jamie Porter brought to an end a partnership that yielded 133 runs in 47 overs.
The paceman ripped out Morgan’s middle stump to end an innings of 55 that contained 10 boundaries.
It was left to David Masters to claim the final two wickets with successive deliveries. First, he ended the superb effort of teenager Kiran Carlson, who 101 overnight, moved to 119 before he was caught down the leg side by James Foster. His innings spanned 5 and a quarter hours, 229 balls and included 16 fours.
The next delivery saw off Michael Hogan as Chopra accepted a slip catch.
Graham Napier, who did not take the field because of a calf strain, finished with 4 for 46, Porter 3 for 67 and Masters 2 for 52.
When Essex replied, Chopra, making his first appearance on rejoining the county following his release by Warwickshire, departed leg before wicket and then Westley was strangled down the leg side and was caught behind by wicket-keeper Mark Wallace.
Meschade was to strike again when he found the edge to have Browne snapped up by Wallace for 22 leaving Dan Lawrence and Ravi Bopara to take Essex through to lunch.
Lawrence will resume after lunch on four and Bopara on eight.
Day One Review | Mixed emotions for Graham Napier on Day One
Day One | Close of Play Report
Despite the efforts of Graham Napier, Glamorgan teenager Kiran Carlson claimed the major honours on the opening day of Essex’s Division Two County Championship clash at The Essex County Ground.
After the visitors found themselves in dire straits at 34 for 5 – and that after winning the toss – the 18 year-old right-hander led a magnificent recovery with a century that helped lead his side to 256 for 7 when bad light brought play to a close with 6 overs still scheduled.
Carlson displayed great composure and concentration to make 101 not out, his chief support coming from Owen Morgan who will resume in the morning on 51.
It had looked so different in the first hour or so as Napier, making his final appearance at Chelmsford before retiring, roared in to take three wickets in the space of nine deliveries.
Glamorgan openers Nick Selman and Jacques Rudolph had carried the total to 30 when Napier was called into the line of attack. With his fifth delivery, he had Rudolph caught in the slips by Tom Westley and his next delivery trapped Will Bragg leg before wicket.
Aneurin Donald was to deny the paceman a hat-trick by driving to the cover boundary but that proved his only scoring stroke before he was comprehensively bowled.
Some semblance of pride was restored to the Glamorgan batting by a stand of 49 but then Craig Meschede became Napier’s fourth wicket, paving the way fior Mark Wallace to add 44 with Carlson before he was bowled by Ravi Bopara to leave the visitors 127 for 7.
Thereafter, it was Carlson and Morgan who lit up the stage with a stand that has so far yielded 129 runs.
Carlson laced his half-century with 10 boundaries although he did survive a “life” when Dan Lawrence failed to hold onto a difficult chance in the gully when he had scored 67.
Morgan, who also had an escape when Nick Browne put down a chance in the slips with the batsman on 7, was to prove a fine ally to Carlson as both batsmen made Essex rue their missed opportunities.
The Essex attack was weakened when Napier limped off the field with a leg injury just after tea and was unable to play a further part in the day’s proceedings.
But no-one could begrudge Carlson his century and he thus became the youngest player to make a first-class century for the county at the age of 18 years and 119 days. It was a marvellous achievement considering he bagged a “pair” in his last match against Gloucestershire.
He has so far struck 15 fours in his 195-ball stay while Morgan’s effort has brought him 9 fours.
The day began with Essex requiring 6 points to clinch the title but the start was delayed by 90 minutes after the van carrying Glamorgan’s kit was held up by an accident at Brentwood on the A12.
It ended with Essex looking somewhat jaded as bad light brought an early close with 6 overs remaining but still very much on course to tie up the outstanding four points required to take the title.
Day One | Tea Report
The visitors were indebted to a maiden first-class half-century from Kiran Carlson as they reached tea on 185 for 7 on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash at Chelmsford.
Resuming after lunch on 57 for 5, the Welsh county’s sixth wicket pair had extended their partnership to 49 when Essex gained their first wicket of the session.
Once more it was Graham Napier who made the breakthrough, picking up his fourth wicket of the innings when Craig Meschede clipped a ball off his toes to Jamie Porter at deep backward square leg.
That left the total on 83 for 6 but 18 year-old Carlson was to underline his promise with some sweetly-timed strokes on both sides of the wicket as he and Mark Wallace put together a useful stand.
It yielded 44 runs, of which Wallace contributed 29, before he was bowled by Ravi Bopara with the score on 127.
The impressive Carlson was to complete his half-century containing 10 fours shortly afterwards. It came off 77 balls and followed a “pair” in his previous game against Gloucestershire.
Owen Morgan helped Carlson add useful runs although he did enjoy one-let-off against the Essex attack.
He had scored 7 out of a total of 145 for 7 when he was dropped at second slip by Nick Browne when facing the bowling of Bopara. But he went on to capitalise on his good fortune and prove a frustration to the league leaders as he and Carlson posted an unbroken partnership of 58 runs at tea.
Carlson has so far scored 64 and Morgan is 26 not out, the latter having so far batted for just over an hour.
Day One | Lunch Report
Graham Napier made a dramatic entrance to his final home appearance before retirement as Essex took firm control of their Specsavers Division Two County Championship clash against Glamorgan at Chelmsford.
The visitors were reduced to 57 for 5 from 22 overs at the lunch interval with Kiran Carlson unbeaten on 15 and Craig Meschede 8 not out.
The medium-pace bowler took two wickets with successive deliveries in his first over after the visitors had moved to 30 without loss after winning the toss.
Then in his third over, he bowled Aneurin Donald, who had denied Napier his hat-trick with a cover drive for four.
That dismissal left Glamorgan with half their side back in the pavilion for 34 after Jamie Porter had picked up two wickets.
The start of the match was delayed for 90 minutes because the visitors kit van was held up by a traffic accident on the A12.
When play did eventually get underway, Essex, who went into the match requiring 6 points to make sure of the title, soon had their supporters voicing their approval.
It was Napier who broke the opening stand by having Jacques Rudolph caught in the slips by Tom Westley before trapping Will Bragg with his next delivery.
Then it was Porter’s turn to make an impact. He broke through the defence of opener Nick Selman and then had David Lloyd well caught low down by Varun Copra at first slip.
Napier’s removal of Donald was his third wicket in nine deliveries and took his season’s Championship tally to 62 victims.
In addition to Chopra, who had been released early by Warwickshire following his signing of a three-year contract with Essex from 2017, Adam Wheater was also named in the Essex starting line-up following his return from Hampshire on a two-year deal.
Due to the late start, the day’s play has been reduced to a minimum of 88 overs.
