Essex suffered their third defeat in four NatWest T20 Blast matches as Glamorgan won an entertaining run-fest at Chelmsford today.

Colin Ingram hammered nine sixes in a career-best 114 as the visitors successfully chased down the host’s opening innings score of 219-4 with five wickets in hand.

The game came down to the final ball, bowled by Paul Walter, with Glamorgan needing two to win. Craig Meschede cut the ball for the 29th six of the day and it was all over.

Essex were made to pay for a dropped catch at long-off by captain Ryan ten Doeschate when Ingram was just 13. It was the South African’s third T20 century and his second in successive Sundays after an unbeaten 101 against Sussex at Arundel. His third one-day century on the trot at the Cloudfm County Ground lasted just 55 balls, and also included eight fours.

It carried Glamorgan to their second win of the season and eclipsed the short-format best of Essex opener Varun Chopra, who launched eight sixes himself in an unbeaten 103 spanning 59 balls.

Chopra, who shared an Essex record third-wicket partnership of 122 in 11 overs with Ravi Bopara, said: “We’re obviously disappointed to be on the wrong side of a really good game. The crowd have really got their money’s worth. But disappointed to lose after posting such a good score.

“We’ve spoken about someone in the top four going on and getting a 70-80-plus score which makes a big difference. That is what allowed us to post over 200 today. Previously our batters have been getting 30s and 40s, which makes it difficult for the guys to really put their foot down.

“Colin Ingram has been playing well all season and he’s struck it brilliantly. We didn’t quite take our chances to dismiss him, they were difficult chances, but against a good player, in good form in a good wicket with small boundaries you’ve got to try and clutch one. Hopefully he’s due a failure (against us) next Sunday!

“Three defeats in four is not an ideal start, especially two last-ball finishes. It would have been nice to get one of them over the line, but it wasn’t to be. We’ve got a bit of catch-up to do, but there’s a lot of character in the dressing room and hopefully we can turn it around.”