Glamorgan\'s Owen Morgan shared a century partnership with history maker Kiran Carlson and enjoyed the best view of his teammates\' record=breaking success on day one of the Chelmsford County Championship clash.
Carlson had put on 49 with Meschede and 44 with Wallace as the Welsh county recovered from the loss of early wickets after traffic problems had delayed play at the start of the day.
However after both senior partners had departed, it was Carlson's major partnership with Morgan that changed the complexion of the match, though it nearly didn’t get off the ground. It was worth 18 when Morgan edged Bopara to second slip where Nick Browne put down the chance. Morgan was seven at the time.
Carlson also had a let-off, though he was 67 at the time, when he steered Napier to gully where Dan Lawrence got both hands to the ball, high to his left, but couldn’t hold on. Both misses were to prove costly.
Kiran and Owen reached their century partnership in 34 overs when Carlson turned Bopara to deep midwicket for a single and a quickly scampered single to mid-off brought up Carlson’s ton. Two balls later Morgan reached his fifty from 130 balls with nine fours. He celebrated with another escape when Porter failed to cling on to a sharp caught-and-bowled.
“We were in a bit of trouble in the early stages being seven down when I got out there," said Owen after the day's play. "But Kiran and myself have put on a good partnership and got us back into the game slightly.
“It was quite tough and the Essex bowlers were bowling well and deservedly took a few wickets. Both myself and Kiran recognised that we needed to treat them respectfully and when the bad ball came to deal with it.
“I tried to give Kiran my own opinions. How much he took in I’m not sure.
“But the second new-ball has just been taken so we go back to the start of the processes in the morning and hopefully see it off.”
Essex’s Graham Napier took four wickets in the morning but limped off with a calf injury two overs after tea.
He said: “It’s not as I pictured the last home game to go. It is a little bit ironic that I have injuries throughout my career and I get one in my last game.
“I will have to come back in the morning and see what the physio says before we decide what happens. Here at Chelmsford we know the ball gets softer, the pitch gets flatter. It should be at its best to bat on tomorrow.
“I think the ball swung in the morning and the chaos of not having any kit to start with to warm up with wasn’t an ideal start for them. We caught them on the hop a bit and as their batters prove it is a good pitch to bat on."