Rampant Essex roll on
Essex took a significant step towards the Friends Provident Trophy quarter-finals with a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Glamorgan in a day-night clash at the SWALEC Stadium.
The visitors were indebted to Danish Kaneria, who recorded figures of 10-3-16-4 to help dismiss Glamorgan, who won the toss, for just 124 in 46.2 overs.
At one stage the Pakistan leg-spinner had figures of 4-2 in 19 balls and also bowled 25 consecutive dot balls, making full use of a Cardiff wicket offering turn and bounce.
In reply, Essex overhauled a meagre target in only 25.5 overs to record their fourth win in Group D.
Graham Napier clubbed a breezy 41 from 36 balls, including five fours and two sixes, as Essex exacted revenge for Glamorgan’s eight-wicket victory at Chelmsford earlier this month.
Glamorgan were undermined by a devastating spell of bowling from Danish Kaneria, who claimed 4-16
Only three Glamorgan batsmen reached double figures: Ryan Watkins, in his first game of the season, Robert Croft, in his first 50-over appearance for two seasons, and the impressive Ben Wright.
After winning the toss, the writing was on the wall for the hosts as soon as opener Mark Cosgrove departed in the second over, leg before to David Masters.
Wickets fell at regular intervals after the departure of Cosgrove, who scored 72 off 36 balls in the earlier win over Essex.
Gareth Rees was run out by Grant Flower after being sent back as he went in search of a single, Mike Powell was bowled through the gate by Masters and Watkins became Kaneria’s first victim, bowled by a delivery that looped up off his pad and bounced on top of the bails.
Captain Jamie Dalrymple was caught at slip playing back to Kaneria, who then struck twice in his next over to remove Mark Wallace, well caught by Graham Napier at backward square-leg, and James Harris to leave Glamorgan reeling on 57 for seven.
Wright, who made 40 not out, launched something of a rearguard action, putting on 33 with Croft and a further 27 with Dean Cosker.
Croft fell to a smart return catch from Flower and Cosker went to an equally impressive catch by wicketkeeper James Foster - standing up to Masters.
In reply, Essex suffered an early setback when skipper Mark Pettini was caught by Watkins, diving forward on the midwicket boundary.
But Varun Chopra and Napier put on 66 in 10 overs before the latter holed out to long-on off Cosker, who then had Chopra neatly stumped by Wallace for 37 in his next over.
But there were no more scares for the defending champions as Matt Walker and Flower added an unbroken 42 to take Essex past the winning post with 24.1 overs to spare.
