Captain Jacques Rudolph and the Glamorgan team had to watch from the players’ balcony as Essex celebrated with champagne on the pitch after their defeat to the Welsh county proved inconsequential in securing the Division Two title.
“Even when we were fielding, and they got the second bonus point to take them to promotion from the Second Division, I was thinking to myself, ‘This is what every single team should be aspiring to, especially us’," said Rudolph who struck 56 in the second innings to help set up the challenging total for the hosts on the final day.
“I do think we’re a good team and if can get potentially get another one or two bowlers we will have a better team. I can assure you I don’t want to play Second Division for the rest of my career, and the lads want to play First Division cricket.”
Glamorgan ended a run of three defeats in a row and Rudolph said: “I’m very proud of the way the boys fought back. I thought first session on day one when we were 34 for five we were really in a spot of bother. We’ve got a fairly young team and the spirit has been outstanding.
“It is always nice when one of your seamers says he is willing to bowl 30 overs in a day, and that was Timm. I think he did actually bowl close to 30 overs. And on that wicket, it was a great wicket, Michael Hogan showed his class and a five-for was an amazing effort. But all in all it was a great bowling effort.
“This season Hogie has been struggling a bit with his rhythm, but I really got a feeling when he was bowling this morning that he is really striking his rhythms and bowling really well.
I have said before he is in the top five bowlers I have played with and against. It was nice for him to take a five-for on a flat wicket – it was like a batter scoring a hundred in early April.”
Glamorgan gave guard of honours when Essex retirees Graham Napier and David Masters came to the wicket, and Rudolph explained: “I spoke to Mark Wallace and I said I would suggest us doing that. Mark and Hogie, the senior players in our side, said they thought it was a good gesture and it shows a lot of respect to players, fortunately, who I won’t have to face again!
“I’ve known Napes for the last 21 years, I played against him when I was at school, and he has been a great ambassador for cricket across the world. And the same with Hoddy. He has done his business over the last few years, so I wish them well in the future.”