Luc Benkenstein helps Essex to battling two-wicket victory over Glamorgan

Luc Benkenstein helped get Essex over the line to beat Glamorgan by two wickets in a nerve-jangler in the Vitality Blast.

Essex looked comfortable when requiring 61 from 56, but suffered a huge collapse of seven wickets in 31 balls as Mason Crane had the hosts in a spin.

However, Benkenstein came up clutch with an unbeaten 35 off 21 in partnership with Shane Snater (20 not out) to chase down 165 with eight balls to spare.

Domination

Paul Walter and Daniel Sams took three wickets apiece as Colin Ingram restarted his Essex domination with 52, but it was not enough as both sides have two wins after four matches.

Eddie Byrom was bowled attempting a ramp by Sams in a wicket maiden to start the innings.

Sam Northeast steered to short third man as the visitors were 31 for two after six overs before fighting back in the middle overs.

Kiran Carlson (36) and Marnus Labuschagne (34) put on 63 and after both fell in quick succession, Ingram and Chris Cooke (18) continued the momentum with a fifth-wicket stand of 48.

Ingram exploded back into life with a 28-ball half-century to take him to 548 runs in 20-over cricket against Essex but, more immediately important, got his side to a half-defendable total of 166 for eight.

Thumping strikes

Adam Rossington quickly found the nine runs to reach 3,000 in all T20s before finding his range with some thumping strikes.

Dean Elgar (14) got a life on two before Jamie McIlroy crashed into his stumps

Elgar’s exit meant last week’s centurion Michael Pepper could unleash himself, and he didn’t take too long to continue when he left off against Middlesex.

But the leg-spinning duo of Hampshire loanee Mason Crane and Labuschagne turned things with six wickets in 19 balls.

Labuschagne had Rossington caught for 48 and Walter (3) either side of Jordan Cox (3) and Michael Pepper (31) falling in the same Crane over.

Sams and Matt Critchley both fell cheaply as Crane took himself to four for 25.

After a wicketless over, Labuschagne caught and bowled Harmer, but Benkenstein used his cricket sense to ease his side away from danger with risk-free play as he and Snater guided Essex to the winning line thanks to a 45-run stand.