Glamorgan are 110/1 chasing 462 to win at Chelmsford

The morning after EU finance ministers had brokered a package to bailout the Greek economy, Glamorgan's cricketers were considering a recovery mission of their own at Chelmsford following a days play when, for the first time in a completed innings this season, they had failed to secure a single batting point as the ball nibbled around in the dank conditions, before Essex's makeshift opening partnership had taken their side to a lead of almost 200 with the surface seeming to have lost the exaggerated lateral movement with Jesse Ryder had extracted earlier in the day as he returned Championship-best bowling figures.


When play began at 11am, with the floodlights once again on, Nick Browne and Liam Dawson, were looking to further consolidate Essex's very healthy overnight position as David Lloyd and Michael Hogan resumed the bowling under a heavy cloud cover, hoping that the surface had regained its capricious character. Both settled into a probing line and length with Browne eventually striking the day's first boundaries in the fifth over as he firstly cover drove Lloyd before on-driving him to complete a 92-ball fifty.


Browne added another boundary to his tally as he off-drove Hogan, before Dawson who was opening the batting because Jaik Mickleburgh had suffered a back spasm, brought up the hundred by glancing Lloyd to fine-leg. Colin Ingram's leg-spin was then introduced at the River End with Graham Wagg returning at the Hayes Close End. Browne cut Wagg just wide of the fielder at backward point before Dawson pulled a long hop from Ingram for six. He then drove Wagg through cover point to complete his fifty from 109 deliveries, followed by a sweep to long-leg against Ingram.


Browne also reverse-swept Ingram for four before Craig Meschede returned to the attack. He beat the outside edge of Dawson's bat before causing the makeshift opener to edge the ball just short of first slip. Browne then brought up the 150 by pulling Ingram for four followed by straight drives against both Meschede and Ingram, although he was fortunate when an expansive drive against the leg-spinner evaded both the stumps and wicket-keeper and sped away for four byes.


Andrew Salter then replaced Ingram and was drilled to long-off four by Browne, before the left-hander clipped Meschede to square-leg. In the final over before lunch he duly completed his century by driving Salter to long-on for six.

Resuming on 191/0 after lunch, Nick Browne and Liam Dawson were looking to continue their serene progress as Essex established a sizeable lead, which already stood at 308 at the interval. David Lloyd and Michael Hogan resumed the bowling duties with Browne guiding Hogan through backward point for four before repeating the stroke against Lloyd as the 200 came up in the 59^th over.


With the total on 207, the opener's efforts past Essex's previous best opening stand against the Welsh county set by John Stephenson and Adam Seymour at Sophia Gardens in 1991. Dawson then clipped Hogan to fine-leg before running a series of swift singles with his new partner as the Essex run rate noticeably quickened. Browne also straight drove Lloyd for four before Colin Ingram returned at the Hayes Close End.


The return of the leg-spinner ended the stand as, with the total on 241, Mark Wallace pouched an edge from Browne's bat as he tried to work the ball into the leg-side. Tom Westley began by cover driving his first ball for four but next over he departed l.b.w. to Ingram as Essex lost a second wicket on 247. Andrew Salter duly operated in tandem with the leg-spinner who seven runs later grabbed a third scalp as he caught and bowled Dawson for 99 as the on-loan batsman chipped a ball back to the bowler.


His departure saw Jesse Ryder arrive at the crease and he made his intentions clear by lofting Salter high over long-off for six. The positive intent continued to the Essex innings as Bopara advanced down the wicket to Salter and was stumped by Mark Wallace, giving the long-serving Glamorgan wicket-keeper his 700th dismissal in all first-class cricket.


270/4 saw Ryan ten Doeschate join Ryder who swept Ingram for four as the 400-run lead came up. Ten Doeschate also repeated the stroke against Salter before straight-driving Ingram for four. The Dutchman then clubbed Salter high over mid-wicket for six before the pair ran a series of singles. He then despatched Ingram for a pair of fours through the offside before Essex declared on 344/4 after 85 overs leaving Glamorgan a target of 462 to win in a minimum of 131 overs

Essex's declaration at teatime meant that there were 35 overs remaining in the day's quota when play resumed with Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg opening the batting. The latter struck the first boundary of the innings as he guided David Masters through the slips before the former had a life in the second over as he edged Jamie Porter high to second slip where Liam Dawson parried the ball but could not grasp the rebound.


The Glamorgan captain responded by twice pulling Porter for four before Jesse Ryder entered the fray hoping to repeat his efforts in the muggy and overcast conditions yesterday. With a touch of irony, the sun then came out to bathe the Chelmsford ground as Bragg clipped Porter to square-leg for four before cover-driving Ryder. He then unfurled his trademark punch off the back foot through point as he completed an all-run four.


Dawson's spin was then introduced and in his second over he ended Bragg's stay at the crease as he swept the spinner to mid-wicket. 42/1 saw Aneurin Donald join his captain and the teenager began by calmly on-driving the spinner through mid-on for three. Rudolph then cover drove Dawson before the fifty came up with a single by Rudolph.

Donald then survived a stumping chance as he advanced down the wicket to Dawson, with the teenager celebrating his good fortune by cover driving Graham Napier for two and then pulling him for four behind square on the leg-side. He followed this by drilling Dawson through the covers for four before carving Napier through backward point for another boundary. He then had a second moment of god fortune as he miscued a pull just over the head of mid-on who could not quite reach the ball running back towards the boundary.


Rudolph then threaded a drive against Napier through the cover fielders to record another sweetly-timed boundary before doing the same when Dawson switched to the River End. Donald then lofted Tom Westley over long-on for six to bring up the hundred in the 33^rd over before on-driving Dawson for three in the penultimate over. Rudolph then cover drove Westley in the final over to set up an intriguing day's play tomorrow