County Championship: Essex wrap up innings win over Glamorgan

Essex are the early leaders of Division Two in the Championship after missing out on defending their title

Essex laid down a marker for their second division title challenge as they crushed Glamorgan by an innings and 74 runs in Cardiff.

Sam Cook led the way with 5-37 while Jamie Porter claimed 3-35 as Glamorgan were bowled out for 112 in their second innings.

The last four wickets fell in just 32 minutes on the third day.

Only Lukas Carey's 29 off 17 balls provided late resistance, with captain Chris Cooke left 47 not out.

Porter bowled Andrew Salter off his pads with his second ball of the over while Timm van der Gugten edged Sam Cook to slip, and although Carey swung merrily, he and Michael Hogan fell in successive balls as Essex earned an early departure home.

Essex host Gloucestershire in their next match starting on Sunday 5 September.

Glamorgan coach Matthew Maynard revealed afterwards three members of the team had only been cleared to play on the morning of the match after Covid-relation isolation, with five other squad members ruled out.

Meanwhile, Glamorgan opener Nick Selman, among those not considered for selection because of a Covid contact, hit 97 for their second XI away to Derbyshire to bid for first-team selection at Durham.

Glamorgan's youngest squad member, 17 year-old wicket-keeper Alex Horton, was named in the England Under-19 squad to face West Indies.

Essex coach Anthony McGrath told BBC Essex Sport:

"We had a good first two days and thankfully we got it wrapped up quickly, a really good way to start this block of four games and go into the Gloucestershire game.

"The pitch got changed just before the start so it was a used pitch, but the way Nick Browne and Michael Pepper batted with a hundred partnership, then Adam Wheater and Shane Snater's partnership, those were crucial and Nick's hundred was worth its weight in gold on that surface..

"You can see by the performance we're taking it as any other season, we want to finish top of the group we're in, since we don't know what's going to happen with the schedule for next year.

"We're disappointed not to be challenging in that first division but we've got to finish as high as we can and set out to win every game."

Glamorgan coach Matthew Maynard told BBC Sport Wales:

"The preparation with having so many players isolated before the game had a little bit of an effect, but not as much as that (result).

"On a new-ball wicket, they exploited conditions in both innings better than we did, they took their chances and we dropped Browne on eight before his crucial hundred.

"It looks like an absolute hammering but it's small margins. It's a disappointing way to start but Essex have been county championship winners in the last couple of years, they want to show every team how good you need to be.

"You need to be relentless in hitting the spot as quick bowlers, they bowled fantastically as a three-pronged seam attack, backed by by the best spinner in the country (Simon Harmer)."