An unbeaten century from Ryan ten Doeschate saw Essex to 275/6 at the close of the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match at Chelmsford after dismissing Glamorgan for 286 with the home side clinching promotion to Division One shortly before the close.
Evening update
With temperatures in the Chelmsford area soaring to the highest for a day in September since 1911, demand for ice was massive, but there was plenty available in the Essex changing room, keeping the champagne cool for a little while longer as the county’s cricketers sought the second batting point which would clinch promotion to Division One for 2017.
Essex were 80 runs away from their target when play resumed after tea, with Ryan ten Doeschate and Adam Wheater continuing their stand which before the interval had frustrated Glamorgan’s ambitions of a first innings lead. Owen Morgan resumed at the River End, bowling over the wicket, with Timm van der Gugten’s pace at the Hayes Close End. Ten Doeschate clipped his fellow Dutchman to square-leg for three before completing a 76-ball fifty with a quick single.
Another single saw the sixth wicket pair complete a century stand but shortly afterwards Wheater miscued a cut against Morgan and Nick Selman at backward point completed the regulation catch. James Foster joined his captain who swept Morgan for four as he switched back around the wicket, before guiding Craig Meschede into the covers to bring up the 200 and the first batting point.
He celebrated by again sweeping Morgan for four before Foster miscued a pull against Michael Hogan with Nick Selman being just unable to cling onto the ball. Ten Doeschate celebrated by pulling the paceman for four before Foster harpooned Hogan over mid-wicket for six followed next over by a similar stroke for four against Meschede.
Ten Doeschate then clipped Meschede for four to mid-wicket before a scurried single brought up the 50-stand. The shadows were lengthening across the outfield as Essex moved closer to 250 and their second point which quite fittingly ten Doeschate struck as he square-cut Morgan for a single. Shortly afterwards, he reached his hundred by cutting van der Gugten for four – his 11th boundary and 137th delivery – before a flurry of singles in the last few overs as he manoeuvred his side closer to Glamorgan’s first innings, with Essex ending the day on 275/6.
Teatime Update
There was an outbreak of schadenfreude at lunchtime here at Chelmsford where Essex are seeking batting points to add to their three bowling points in their quest for promotion. Events at Hove meant that Essex’s target was now another two points not three, with loud cheers accompanying the announcer reporting that Sussex had only collected a solitary batting point against Worcestershire.
The news from the South Coast no doubt made the lunchtime lager or Liebfraumilch more palatable for home supporters as Essex, having lost three early wickets, now had their eyes on reaching 250 and in the opening over of the session, Ravi Bopara brought up the fifty by flicking Timm van der Gugten to the square-leg ropes. Dan Lawrence also straight drove Michael Hogan for four before Bopara got a leading edge to a drive against the Australian and saw the ball fly through the vacant gully position.
With the total on 63, van der Gugten removed Lawrence courtesy of a smart catch to his right at second slip by Aneurin Donald with Adam Wheater announcing his arrival by clipping his first ball to the ropes at mid-wicket. Bopara then drove van der Gugten back over his head for four whilst Wheater on-drove the Dutchman later in his over.
Glamorgan then switched to spin as Owen Morgan entered the attack at the River End and in his opening over saw Bopara jaywalk down the wicket, miss the ball and be stumped by Wallace as Essex slipped further to 85/5. Wheater responded by off-driving Meschede for four before late-cutting the all-rounder to third man. However, on 24 the former Hampshire man miscued a pull and nearly holed out to mid-on.
Essex then reached 100 in the 32nd over with Ryan ten Doeschate cutting Meschede for four followed by a rasping cover drive against Morgan. David Lloyd then entered the attack and was cover-driven by ten Doeschate as the 50 stand came up before the Essex captain swept Morgan for four as the follow-on was avoided.
Hogan and van der Gugten then returned in a tandem for a pre-tea salvo but the former was drilled through extra-cover by ten Doeschate, whilst both were flicked to fine-leg by Wheater. Wheater then glided Hogan to third man for four to comoplete an 83-ball fifty as the Essex innings started to resemble the course of the Glamorgan one as the ball became softer.
Lunchtime Update
It’s been a remarkable six weeks for eighteen year-old Kiran Carlson with the former pupil of Whitchurch High School firstly securing 3 A’s at A-level to clinch a place to study engineering at Cardiff University in 2017, before taking a ‘five-for’ with his occasional off-spin on his Championship debut at Northampton before bagging a pair against Gloucestershire last week at Cardiff and then yesterday, on an incident-filled opening day at Chelmsford, becoming Glamorgan’s youngest-ever centurion, besides being the youngest player in the history of the County Championship to have a 100 and a ‘five for’ to their name.
The flick to mid-wicket which Kiran played to reach three figures was another heart-warming moment for the Welsh county, especially for the small and loyal band of Glamorgan supporters who had battled through the traffic chaos on the M25 and A12 to reach the Chelmsford ground. For the home supporters, who themselves had been caught up in the congestion, they had belatedly arrived hoping to see the first part of Essex’s promotion party. But together with Owen Morgan, Glamorgan’s eighth wicket pair had become something of party poopers, adding 129 in 44.1 overs and when play began on time this morning, the fresh-faced pair – who had previously played in a combined total of nine first-class games – were keen to continue their good work against the leaders of Division Two.
For Essex, there was some bad news at first this morning with Graham Napier ruled out with a calf strain, so Jamie Porter and David Masters continued with the relatively new ball, with Morgan cover driving Porter in the opening over. But the bowler had the last laugh and raised local morale as in his next over he ended the eighth wicket stand as he clean bowled Morgan for 55.
Timm van der Gugten joined forces with Carlson, and successfully fended off a volley of short balls before slashing Ravi Bopara through backward point for four. Carlson also guided Bopara for four through the slips but with the total on 286 his valiant innings ended as he top-edged a pull against Masters into James Foster’s gloves and departed for 119. Next ball, Michael Hogan edged to first slip where Varun Chopra completed a catch diving to his left.
There were 79 overs remaining in the day as Varun Chopra and Nick Browne began Essex’s reply and their quest of a further three points to definitely clinch promotion. Craig Meschede and van der Gugten shared the new ball with Browne gliding the latter through the slips for four during a quixotic over costing sixteen runs that also saw a couple of wides, a no ball, a clip to mid-wicket for two, a pair of singles and a leg-glance for four.
But Meschede made an early incision as he trapped Chopra l.b.w. Tom Westley came in and like a batsman who is the leading run-scorer in the Division, he nonchalantly clipped the all-rounder for four to mid-wicket, but three balls later he wafted at a ball going down the leg-side and a diving Mark Wallace completed a fine catch to his left as Essex slipped to 21/2.
After some tentative strokes, Browne more assertively punched van der Gugten through the covers for four but next over he became Meschede’s third scalp as he edged into Wallace’s gloves as Glamorgan claimed their first bowling point with Essex on 34/3. Bopara announced his arrival with a pair of languid drives for four through mid-off and mid-on whilst in the final over Dan Lawrence also cover-drove Hogan for four