Glamorgan narrowly missed out on victory against Essex in a thrilling Vitality Blast encounter, losing by two wickets despite a valiant team effort.
Colin Ingram’s 52 helped Glamorgan set a target of 166. Eddie Byrom fell early to Daniel Sams, who claimed three wickets in his opening spell. After six overs, Glamorgan were struggling at 31 for two.
Kiran Carlson provided a much-needed boost, hitting Simon Harmer for consecutive sixes. Ingram then took charge, dominating Harmer's bowling as Carlson and Marnus Labuschagne put on 63 runs. Despite losing Carlson and Labuschagne in quick succession, Ingram and Chris Cooke added 48 for the fifth wicket, propelling Glamorgan to a defendable 165 for eight.
Essex started their chase confidently, with Adam Rossington surpassing milestones of 500 T20 runs for Essex and 3,000 T20 runs overall. Although Dean Elgar and Rossington formed a 43-run stand, Michael Pepper's quick scoring soon put Essex in a strong position.
However, Glamorgan’s bowlers turned the tide. Mason Crane, delivered his second career-best performance, taking four wickets for 25 runs. Labuschagne supported well, claiming three wickets, including a crucial caught and bowled to dismiss Rossington.
Despite this, Essex’s Luc Benkenstein held firm. Coming in at No.9, the 19-year-old played a mature and composed innings. With Essex needing 61 from 56 balls and reeling from a collapse of seven wickets in 31 balls, Benkenstein’s unbeaten 35 off 21 balls, alongside Shane Snater’s 20, steered Essex to victory with eight balls to spare.
Ultimately, both teams left the match with two wins each from four games, but it was Essex who emerged victorious in this nerve-wracking contest.
Glamorgan play their next game at Sophia Gardens against Hampshire Hawks on Thursday 13 June in a doubleheader.