Hosts extend lead in Cardiff
Owais Shah scored his second century of the season but that could not prevent Essex trailing as they go into the final day of their County Championship match against Glamorgan at Cardiff
04-Aug-2011
Owais Shah scored his second century of the season but that could not prevent Essex trailing as they go into the final day of their County Championship match against Glamorgan at Cardiff.
After bowling Essex out for 363, which also included an unbeaten 92 from Adam Wheater, Glamorgan took a 36-run lead into their second innings.
And thanks to a unbroken stand of 116 between Alviro Petersen (54) and Will Bragg (59) that lead increased to 162 as Glamorgan finished day three on 126 for 1.
After an hour's delay for rain Essex resumed their first innings on 160 for 2, 239 runs in arrears, needing a further 89 to avoid the follow-on. Glamorgan broke through in the third over of the day to end the third wicket partnership between Shah and Jaik Mickleburgh, who put on 116 in 45 overs.
Mickleburgh was the man to go, for 60 - leg before wicket in Will Owen's second over of the morning. The Glamorgan players were wearing black armbands in memory of former county
and England all-rounder Allan Watkins who died yesterday aged 89. He was the first Glamorgan player to score a century for England and the first to play in an Ashes Test match.
At lunchtime there was a minute's silence in honour of Watkins involving players from both teams and 50 former Glamorgan players, who were having their annual lunch at the ground.
After lunch, which Essex reached at 202 for 3, Foster was bowled behind his legs by Jim Allenby with the second new ball, and in the next over Shah completed his second century of the season from 233 balls with 11 fours. When Shah was trapped lbw by Owen he became the first of five wickets to fall for 48 runs with the main damage done by Robert Croft.
The veteran had figures of three wickets for eight runs in 20 balls as he removed Graham Napier, David Masters and Maurice Chambers in quick succession. But No. 11 Tom Craddock gave Wheater valuable support as the last wicket realised 54 of which Craddock supplied one.
Some big-hitting from Wheater got him to within eight of a second century of the season but he was left stranded on 92 from 88 balls when Craddock was run out coming back for a second.
Glamorgan suffered an early setback when Gareth Rees fell victim to a leg before appeal off Masters. But from 10 for 1 Glamorgan were indebted to a second wicket stand between
Petersen and Bragg, who both reached their half-centuries in the same over.
