Cosgrove and Maynard set up easy win

Glamorgan 192 for 3 beat Essex 191 for 6 by seven wickets
Scorecard

Mark Cosgrove and Tom Maynard powered Glamorgan to a superb seven-wicket victory over Essex in their Friends Provident t20 match at Chelmsford. The duo combined in a thrilling partnership of 97 in only 50 balls to set up victory with 14 deliveries to spare after Essex had posted a total of 191 for 6.

Cosgrove plundered 89 from 55 balls, with the help of 13 fours and two sixes, although he had one slice of good fortune when he was put down at short third man by David Masters when 44. Maynard finished with an unbeaten 66 from 30 balls, with four fours and six sixes, the last of which saw the Welsh county to their third win in the competition in as many matches.

No-one escaped the carnage as the third-wicket pair cut loose. Pakistan legspinner Danish Kaneria conceded 43 from three overs while New Zealand allrounder Scott Styriss' two overs cost 29. The Essex bowlers hardly helped their cause with some woeful bowling as they gifted their opponents a dozen wides.

Essex made a stuttering start to their innings when captain Mark Pettini provided a simple return catch from Robert Croft's first ball of the match. Ravi Bopara (29) and Ryan ten Doeschate (37) did manage to keep the scoreboard ticking over but the only real momentum was provided by James Foster.

He thrashed an unbeaten 54 from 25 balls, the high point of which was three successive sixes in the 18th over sent down by Jamie Dalrymple. All of them came as he stood at least two foot outside his off stump and each ball was dispatched over midwicket.

Foster also helped himself to five fours and he could be forgiven for thinking that he had done enough to give Essex a total that should have been defended. But Cosgrove and Maynard had other ideas as they both gathered their personal bests in this competition. Veteran offspinner Croft also shared the honours for Glamorgan as he sent down four teasing overs that brought him 3 for 22.