T20 Blast: Ravi Bopara guides Essex to an easy win at Cardiff

Essex celebrate in the background as Glamorgan's Jacques Rudolph walks back to the pavilion

Ravi Bopara scored a superb unbeaten 81 to guide Essex to a comfortable win over Glamorgan in Cardiff.

The Eagles were always in control with their victory delayed only by a 25-minute floodlight failure.

Bopara (2-25) and Shaun Tait (3-28) bowled superbly as Glamorgan - who scored 240 against Surrey last week - were restricted to 144.

Essex lost Mark Pettini in the first over, but Bopara was imperious, guiding his team home with 14 balls to spare.

The former England player was ably assisted by 20-year-old Kishen Velani who scored a brisk 29 as Essex made all the Glamorgan bowlers, with the exception of Michael Hogan (2-19), look pedestrian.

The game was plunged into farce - and darkness - when four of the five floodlight pylons failed after the 14th over of Essex's innings.

But when the lights were restored Bopara - who returned from IPL duty with Sunrisers Hyderabad this week - guided the Eagles to their first first T20 win of the season with a top-edged six off Ruaidhri Smith.

Captain Jack Rudolph and Colin Ingram steered Glamorgan to 64-1 after the early loss of Mark Wallace, before a flurry of wickets saw them reduced to 83-6.

Chris Cook played some lusty blows in his 31, but Glamorgan's total of 144-8 always looked below par on a quick wicket with Ravi Bopara and Shaun Tait (3-28) the pick of the Essex bowlers.

Glamorgan: Rudolph (capt), Wallace (wkt), Ingram, Cooke, Bragg, Meschede, Wagg, Smith, Cosker, Hogan, Salter

Essex: Pettini, Ryder, Bopara, Foster (capt), Ten Doeschate (wkt), Smith, Napier, Velani, Tait, Masters, Topley

A floodlight failure delayed play at the Swalec Stadium

Reece Topley looks to the heavens while Glamorgan's Jacques Rudolph trots through for a single