Essex power to big victory over Glamorgan in Cardiff

Essex cruised to a 51-run victory over Glamorgan at Cardiff after running up an impressive 226 for nine on the back of a career-best 78 from Paul Walter.

The total was the second highest ever made at Sophia Gardens with only the Surrey score made here on Wednesday above Essex’s effort.

Essex lost wickets regularly but kept on coming at the Glamorgan bowlers, with Michael Pepper (42), Daniel Sams (30 not out) providing good support to Walter, who struck six sixes and six fours in his 34-ball innings.

Glamorgan started well in their chase but fell away as they looked to keep up with the rate. Colin Ingram top scored with 48 after Kiran Carlson (40) and Sam Northeast (46) put on 76 for the first wicket, but no Glamorgan batter made a half-century as they were bowled out for 175 with Peter Hatzoglou unable to bat.

This is Glamorgan’s second home defeat in a row to leave them with a record of four wins and three losses, with Essex climbing above them in the South Group after recording a fifth victory in seven matches.

Essex got off to a flying start having won the toss and elected to bat, racing to 67 for one after five overs as Timm van der Gugten’s return from injury was greeted by him being smashed around the park.

Van der Gugten’s first two overs went for 38 runs as Robin Das, Feroze Khushi and Pepper all took the attack to Glamorgan.

However, Essex were pegged back in the final over of the powerplay when Ruaidhri Smith claimed a double wicket maiden dismissing Khushi for 17 and Josh Rymell for a duck.

Walter was the next man in and he, along with Pepper, continued to attack, with the rate rarely dropping below 10 an over throughout the Essex innings. Pepper made 42 from just 19 balls when he was trapped lbw by Hatzoglou.

It was Walter who laid the biggest foundations for the huge total but, with a century in his sights, he drove a ball from Hatzoglou to long off where Ingram took a simple catch.

Record chase

Despite the regular wickets, Essex still kept coming hard and their lower order, led by Sams, took them well past 200 to give Glamorgan a target that would be a record chase on this ground.

The hosts began their pursuit in flying fashion with Carlson and Northeast scoring 65 in the first six overs.

But that stand was ended when Carlson was well caught off the bowling of Matt Critchley and Northeast, who scored 76 against Surrey on Wednesday, followed him back to the pavilion after also falling to Critchley, bowled while coming swn the track.

That wicket brought together Glamorgan’s in-form pairing of Ingram and Chris Cooke with 118 needed from 53 balls but although they both made decent starts, they failed to kick on.

Ingram was caught on the boundary by Critchley off the bowling of Shane Snater for 46 and Cooke was caught and bowled by Walter for 20.

When Billy Root was dismissed the next ball, also caught and bowled by Walter, Glamorgan were five down and needed to score at 16 runs an over.

Wickets tumbled at the end to leave Glamorgan a long way short of their victory target as they went from 158 for three to 175 all out.