Essex lead by 256 runs at Swansea

One of the charms of watching county cricket at St.Helen's is the unrivalled view across Swansea Bay, allowing spectators to also watch the ebb and flow of the tide in the Bristol Channel, which all keen students of maritime matters know has the second highest tidal range in the world. Returning to terra firma, there was an equally strong change of direction yesterday as Essex slumped from 207/4 at tea to 286 all out with Jim Allenby taking 5/30 in the space of 46 balls to change the complexion of the game.


This was after both opening batsmen Nick Browne and Tom Westley had each compiled contrasting fifties. Whereas the former was patient in compiling 73 from 194 balls, the latter was more assertive, striking 60 from just 79 deliveries before falling to the subtle wiles of Dean Cosker whose frugal afternoon spell hinted that spin would play an increasing role as this contest unfolds. Indeed, half of the dozen overs Glamorgan faced last night were delivered by the visiting spinners, with Monty Panesar removing Will Bragg before night-watchman Andrew Salter helped Jacques Rudolph see Glamorgan safely to the close.


Panesar duly resumed this morning at the Mumbles Road End, but it was the medium-pace swing bowling of Graham Napier at the Pavilion End - and under a heavy cloud cover with the tide in - which saw three wickets tumble in the space of seventeen deliveries. With the first delivery of the day, he removed Rudolph who edged to first slip. Murray Goodwin then joined Salter and immediately clipped Napier for four to mid-wicket, but Glamorgan slipped to 36/4 next over as Napier struck again bowling Salter and then removing Chris Cooke first ball with a delivery which wickedly swung back into him.


Goodwin then drilled a ball to Napier which struck the bowler on the hand and forced him to leave the field at the end of the over. Jesse Ryder duly replaced him and the veteran batsman savagely pulled his first ball to the mid-wicket ropes before guiding the fifth for four to third man. In successive deliveries in Ryder's next over, Goodwin cut and on-drove the Kiwi for further fours before sweeping Panesar to fine-leg, followed by a pair of crisply struck drives through mid-on and mid-off against Ryder.


But the veteran batsman's assault cam tot an end as Panesar snared him leg before with his arm ball and the total on 76. Mark Wallace began by flicking the spinner off his hips to fine-leg. Sajid Mahmood then replaced Ryder who also required attention for an apparent thigh strain, with the former England seamer being cut for four. It was though a very brief spell as after a couple of overs the off-spin of Greg Smith was employed with Allenby under-edging a cut stroke to his first ball with the ball hurtling to third man as the hundred came up in the 37^th over.

But four runs later Panesar struck again as Wallace was caught at leg-slip as he propped forward to the spinner. Graham Wagg joined Allenby who lofted Smith over long-on for six.But in the final over before lunch Wagg was caught at slip as Panesar claimed another wicket.

Essex are 42/3 at tea on the second day of their LV=County Championship match against Glamorgan at Swansea after dismissing the home side for 161 earlier in the day to secure a first innings lead of 125 runs as Monty Panesar taking 5/50..


Resuming after lunch on 118/7, Glamorgan still needed a further 18 runs to avoid the follow-on, as the obdurate Jim Allenby was joined by James Harris, and after a couple of singles, Allenby despatched Panesar through the covers for four. Harris also cut Greg Smith through backward point for a boundary before Allenby did the same to Panesar.


But the left-arm spinner then removed Harris who edged to slip before Dean Cosker nudged his fellow twirler for two to avoid the follow-on greeted by applause from the crowd, almost matching their cheers shortly afterwards when the full-time score from the Premiership football match at Old Trafford and Swansea City's victory over Manchester United had been announced.


Cosker then swept Panesar for four before Allenby completed a 121-ball fifty by swatting Smith square of the wicket. This prompted the return of Jesse Ryder at the Pavilion End and the New Zealander found the edge of Cosker's bat with the ball being safely pouched at first slip. Next ball, Michael Hogan was clean bowled as Glamorgan were dismissed for 161 with Jim Allenby unbeaten on 56.


Nick Browne and Tom Westley began the Essex second innings but in the fourth over Hogan removed Browne who edged to Cosker in the gully. Westley twice drilled Hogan through the covers for four before Cosker entered the attack after ten overs, but Hogan claimed his 50^th wicket of the season as Ravi Bopara departed leg before with Essex. 30/2 then became 39/3 as Westley pulled the Australian straight to deep backward square-leg where Murray Goodwin completed a tumbling catch.

Resuming on 42/3 after tea, James Foster and Jesse Ryder faced the seam of James Harris and Jim Allenby with each batsman cutting both bowlers when they dropped short ball. Ryder also biffed Allenby through extra cover, but next over Foster edged the all-rounder to second slip where Chris Cooke diving to his left palmed the ball up and a sprawling Mark Wallace completed the catch.


59/4 saw Ryan ten Doeschate join Ryder who clattered a short delivery from Allenby through point for four, followed by a blistering cover drive against Harris who delivered a probing spell at the Mumbles Road End during which he beat the outside edge on several occasions, Hogan then returned and had Ryder caught at second slip by Jacques Rudolph, and 82/5 nearly became 82/6 next ball as the tall Australian found the edge of Greg Smith's bat but this time the Springbok could not hold onto the ball.


Greg Smith announced his arrival by pulling Harris for four and then on-driving Hogan. He continued to find the ropes as he hooked Wagg for four, whilst ten Doeschate pulled Hogan to square-leg for four. Smith then edged Wagg wide of the slip cordon for four before hoisting Cosker into the Mumbles Road for six as the Glamorgan spinners bowled the concluding overs.