One-Day Cup: Essex win last-over thriller against Glamorgan

Ravi Bopara shared a third wicket stand of 85 with Nick Browne

Essex virtually secured a place in the quarter-finals of the One-Day Cup with a last-over four-wicket victory over Glamorgan in a thriller at Chelmsford.

Chasing a target of 325, Nick Browne hit a career-best 99, with Jesse Ryder and Ravi Bopara scoring fifties.

Glamorgan's South African left-hander Colin Ingram was at his brilliant best, hitting 107 in 73 balls - including six sixes - as the visitors made 324-8.

Essex top the South Group and Glamorgan are fourth with two matches left each.

Glamorgan started with a century stand between David Lloyd (62) and Jacques Rudolph (44) while Will Bragg provided acceleration with 44 off 31 balls.

Ingram's innings continued a remarkable run of sublime form in 50-over cricket, with 367 runs in six innings in 2016, after making three centuries in five innings in 2015.

Experienced seamer David Masters, with 2-44 in his 10 overs, was the most economical of the home bowlers.

But Essex got off to a flying start thanks to Browne and Ryder, and looked favourites for most of their innings despite some fine fielding to keep the visitors in the game.

The experience of Ryan ten Doeschate (34 not out) and James Foster (26 not out) saw Essex home as Glamorgan's bowlers struggled to keep control at key stages.

The two teams now finish their T20 campaigns with two matches each in successive nights, the second of which is another meeting between them at Chelmsford on Friday.

Man of the match Nick Browne said: "It would have been nice to have got the hundred, but at the end of the day if I'd scored 99 and we'd lost then I'd be fuming with myself. I was disappointed not to see it home with myself and Ravi, but as a team we saw it over the line.

"Hopefully we are now through to the quarter-finals and can carry this momentum forward and go for a home tie.

"If we hadn't had Tendo and Fozz to see us over the line you would have been talking to Colin Ingram now instead of me."

Colin Ingram told BBC Sport Wales: "We had a respectable total although it was a really good wicket and we knew we'd have to bowl well.

"But they really batted well and also put good partnerships together after getting off to a good start to put us under pressure.

"My confidence is up and I've been trying to keep churning them out but I'm just gutted we lost today."