Tom Westley (141) and Charlie Allison (131) shared a record third-wicket stand of 231 in 33.3 overs and Simon Harmer claimed career-best figures of 5/47 as Essex beat Glamorgan by 190 runs in their day-night encounter in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup at Chelmsford. (writes Andrew Hignell.)
On the day that the Welsh Rugby Union further unveiled plans for reducing the number of regional franchises down to two, accompanied by plenty of speculation in the Media about the future structure, another facet of Welsh sport saw a West-East contest as Glamorgan met Essex in a day-night game at Chelmsford, eager to get back into winning ways, and at the ground where last August they won by 32 runs, despite a dramatic late riposte by Essex for whom Ben Allison and Aaron Beard added a boundary-laden 68 for the last wicket.
Glamorgan make one change to their team from the one that lost by seven wickets to the Notts Outlaws at Cardiff on Sunday, with Ben Morris making his first 1st XI appearance of the season in place of Andy Gorvin. Ned Leonard shared the new ball with Zain ul Hassan and was square-cut by Robin Das for the day’s first boundary, and after playing and missing several times, Matt Critchley cover drove Leonard. before ul Hassan was rewarded for his frugality as Critchley miscued to Kiran Carlson at mid-off.
25-1 saw the arrival of Tom Westley who started by glancing Leonard to fine-leg before drilling him through the covers. But with the total on 37 in the eighth over, Das steered Leonard into Eddie Byrom’s hands at backward point. It nearly became 37-3 as Charlie Allsion inside-edged his first delivery to fine-leg. He celebrated his good fortune by flicking ul Hassan to the ropes at mid-wicket. Westley did the same to Leonard as the 50 came up in the tenth over, besides pulling a no-ball from Leonard for four.
Westley greeted the introduction of Romano Franco by cover-driving the teenager before Allison edged Dan Douthwaite through the vacant slips for four. Later in the over, he drilled a no-ball through mid-off for four before twice cover-driving Carlson when he joined the attack. Allison also biffed Carlson over wide log-off for six as the home side looked to accelerate before completing his fifty from 37 balls by off-driving Morris’ first ball prior to lofting him over long-on for six and twice swatting him to the ropes at mid-wicket.
Westley completed his fifty from 47 balls before punching Morris through extra-cover with Allison also drilling him through mid-on for four. Allison then on-drove ul Hassan for four before Westley greeted the return of Franco to the attack by cover-driving him. Both batters also edged both Franco and Tribe through the vacant slips, with Allison bringing up the 200 by lofting Tribe over extra-cover for six. Westley also inside-edged a drive against Franco for four before Allison completed his maiden List A hundred from 92 balls by clipping Leonard for two.
Westley also reached three figures by punching Leonard through the hands of the cover fielder – his 93rd delivery, before Allison lofted Leonard for six to long-on before flaying Douthwaite through the covers for four, followed by a muscular heave to mid-wicket for another maximum. He then survived a sharp chance at deep backward point as he flayed again at the all-rounder before hoisting Tribe into Byrom’s hands at cow corner and departed for 131 having added 231 in 33.3 overs breaking the previous best third wicket stand against Glamorgan in List A cricket of 223 set by Jimmy Cook and Graham Rose for Somerset in the Sunday League game at Neath in 1990.
Three balls later Tribe struck again as Luc Benkenstein holed out at long-off, before Westley lofted Douthwaite over long-on for another maximum and then bringing up the 300 by scooping ul Hassan for four. Westley then lofted Tribe for sixes over long-on and long-off before miscuing ul Hassan into Byrom’s hands at point and departed for a career-best 141. Harmer kept up the aggression by swatting ul Hassan for four and six to cow corner, followed by a straight six against Douthwaite plus a flat-batted swipe over extra cover for six. Harmer also lofted Leonard over cow corner for six before holing out at long-on in the final over from ul Hassan as Essex finished on 371-6, beating their previous best List A total against Glamorgan which had been 341 at Chelmsford in 2021.
With the Welsh county needing their highest-ever total batting second, Tribe and Byrom against Shane Snater and Jamie Porter but the latter removed Byrom with his first delivery as Byrom edged to Harmer at slip. After being joined by Henry Hurle, Tribe off-drove Snater for a pair of fours but the bowler then removed Hurle who edged behind as Glamorgan slipped to 14-2. Carlson began in frenetic fashion scampering a quick single before flashing a ball from Porter over the slips as well as drilling Porter through the covers for four and slog-sweeping him to fine-leg for another boundary.
Tribe straight-drove Porter for four before Carlson hoiked Snater for six over the Pavilion followed by a hook for four to fine-leg as Glamorgan reached 50 in the tenth over. The Glamorgan captain then harpooned Porter for six to cow corner before straight-driving Harmer for four prior to reaching his fifty in the grand manner for reverse-sweeping him for six – his 31st ball.
Carlson continued by slog-sweeping Benkenstein for six into the Pavilion Enclosure but his cameo ended next over as he drilled Harmer to his opposite number at mid-off and departed for 64 from just 36 balls. 92-3 then became 95-4 as Smale was adjudged l.b.w. sweeping Benkenstein as the floodlights came on at the ground. Root then departed three balls later as he pulled Harmer to deep square-leg, prior to Tribe bringing up the 100 by swatting Benkenstein for six. Harmer then snared ul Hassan who was caught behind before catching a ball hit back to him by Douthwaite. 112-7 saw Leonard join Tribe and hit Harmer for a pair of massive straight sixes.
Tribe completed his fifty by straight Snater for four – his 58th delivery – before pulling him twice to mid-wicket and backward square-leg but with the total on 169, Leonard drove Critchley to Snater at long-off. Next over Harmer claimed his fifth wicket as he bowled Tribe for 71.Morris then swept Critchley for a pair of fours before the spinner ended the contest by bowling Morris.