Brilliant Benkenstein leads Essex to win over Glamorgan despite Van der Gugten ton

MetroBank One Day Cup, Cardiff

Essex 312 (47.1 overs): Benkenstein 140, Thain 76; Douthwaite 3-57

Glamorgan 309-7 (50 overs): Van der Gugten 118*, Horton 85; Snater 3-49

Essex won by 3 runs

Scorecard

A brilliant innings of 140 from 21-year-old Luc Benkenstein saw Essex stay afloat in the One Day Cup with a three-run victory over Glamorgan, despite a first professional hundred from Timm van der Gugten pushing them all the way.

Glamorgan slumped to 78-5 before fighting back to reach 309-7 through Alex Horton (85) and Van der Gugten's battling effort of 118 not out.

Mackenzie Jones, also 21, held his nerve to concede just two runs in a fine final over while Shane Snater took 3-49.

Benkenstein smashed 15 fours and seven sixes, facing just 109 balls and putting on 166 for the first wicket with Noah Thain (76).

But Essex fell away in the second half of their innings with Dan Douthwaite claiming 3-57 as they were bowled out for 312.

Both teams made two changes, with Glamorgan recalling strike bowler Van der Gugten and giving tall 24-year-old Australian paceman Connor O'Riordan, formerly with New South Wales academy, another chance to push his case for a longer contract.

The county is short of seam bowling resources for the closing block of the Championship, with Ned Leonard ruled out through injury, and breakthrough teenager Tom Norton also unlikely to appear again this year- highlighting the need to sign an experienced overseas bowler.

Meanwhile Essex rested paceman Jamie Porter, with Zaman Akhter and Charlie Bennett replacing Porter and Mitch Killeen.

Openers Thain and Benkenstein quickly tucked into all the Glamorgan bowling with the exception of Van der Gugten.

Thain was dropped off Romano Franco on 41 while Benkenstein smashed the young spinner out of the ground.

Essex had 166 on the board by the halfway break, although Thain fell two balls later as he drilled Douthwaite to cover, having hit nine fours and a six.

Captain Tom Westley lofted Franco to long-on but Benkenstein moved confidently to three figures off just 94 balls for his maiden county century in any format.

With Benkenstein going even harder at the bowling in a stand of 67 with Matt Critchley (28), Essex looked in complete control before Glamorgan found late success.

Critchley was run out by Zain Ul Hassan in a mix-up, Benkenstein eventually chipped Douthwaite to mid-off and O'Riordan claimed his first county wicket when Grant Roelofson edged behind.

The crash of wickets continued with the last eight falling for just 55 runs, a remarkable contrast to the early Essex onslaught.

The bowlers' domination continued in the Glamorgan innings as Eddie Byrom lofted Snater to square leg and Ul Hassan (13) pulled Charlie Bennett to Jones at mid-on.

Jones was given catching practice with Colin Ingram and Jack Hope-Bell falling to mistimed attacking shots as Bennett and Snater made more inroads.

Harry Wallace's first two scoring shots on home debut were sixes, a confident pull into the pavilion and a top edge over fine leg.

Wallace, the 17-year-old son of Glamorgan director of cricket Mark, hit four more boundaries in a promising 39 before Jones had him caught behind.

Hard-hitting Horton, 22, looking to secure the Glamorgan wicket-keeper's role in succession to veteran Chris Cooke, again proved his batting ability with his third substantial knock in seven games.

The century stand with Van der Gugten came off 94 balls to give the home crowd something to cheer, with the Netherlands international reaching his first white-ball 50.

Horton lofted four sixes and added eight fours to revive faint hopes for his side before Snater returned to have him caught at backward point.

Glamorgan only had four wickets in hand with 84 runs needed off the final 10, and Douthwaite (13) was caught at long-off off Jones.

With captain Andy Gorvin providing willing support, Van der Gugten reached three figures in the 48th over off 93 balls, and 20 were needed off the final two overs.

But Van der Gugten clubbed the final ball of the 49th over from Snater for a straight six to leave Glamorgan needing only six off the last over.

Jones kept his composure to deliver three successive dot balls to Gorvin, and Glamorgan could manage only two singles as an unlikely comeback eluded them.

Essex's Luc Benkenstein told BBC Sport Wales:

"Who said 50 over cricket is dead? It was an unbelievable game, I thought Timm was going to get them over the line there but it was unbelievable from Mack in that last over and I'm super chuffed for him.

"It's nice to have Noah at the other end, 450 plus runs in six games, it makes things easier. We tried to stay positive early on, nice to get the runs and to contribute to a win.

"I told myself not to over-hit but to stay positive when they missed their areas, hopefully I can continue in the next few games.

"We need to win our last two, maybe some other results to go our way, and hopefully creep into the next round."

Glamorgan's Timm van der Gugten told BBC Sport Wales:

"With the ball we didn't start very well, they batted well and we did really well to restrict them.

"it was nice to build a partnership with 'Horts' (Alex Horton) and I thought we got it right until the end, but then their last bowler (Jones) bowled a pretty phenomenal over.

"If you got in, it was difficult to stop the runs, the wicket had decent pace and the outfield was very quick, so even if you needed 12 an over off the last five you felt you were in the game.

"It's bitter-sweet, I work really hard on my batting and (getting a hundred) is something I really wanted to do but it would have been nice to do it in a winning side."