CRICKETEssex were left with plenty of hard work ahead to avoid the follow-on as they struggled against Glamorgan on the second day at Chelmsford.Replying to a total of 474, they reached the close on 154 for four, still 171 short of the follow-on target.

CRICKET

Essex were left with plenty of hard work ahead to avoid the follow-on as they struggled against Glamorgan on the second day at Chelmsford.

Replying to a total of 474, they reached the close on 154 for four, still 171 short of the follow-on target.

A couple of rash strokes placed them firmly on the back foot in the Liverpool Victoria County Championship Division Two match.

Mark Pettini put up a simple skier to David Hemp at mid-wicket, when pulling a long hop from left-arm spinner Dean Cosker.

Then Ravinder Bopara, who had never looked in the slightest trouble in reaching 37, departed in the same manner, and this time to the first delivery sent down by off-spinner Robert Croft.

Those dismissals left Essex 76 for four, Will Jefferson and Andy Flower having departed earlier without reaching double figures, and placing heavy reliance on the battling qualities of Ronnie Irani and Grant Flower.

They did not disappoint and responded to the situation with determination and discipline.

It was Flower who proved the more fluent during a slow-going partnership which by the close had yielded 78 runs in 36 overs.

Irani, who was dropped at slip by Hemp just before the close, spent 86 balls over his 21, while Flower scored 53 from 135 deliveries with the aid of five fours and one six.

Earlier in the day, the Welsh county lost their last five wickets while adding a further 162 runs, during which time Michael Powell advanced to a career-best 202.

He had defied all attempts to remove him for eight hours while gathering 28 fours, before off-spinner James Middlebrook found just enough turn to bowl him on the stroke of lunch.

Powell had resumed the second day with Mark Wallace, who went on to make 64 from 99 balls during a stand that produced 130.

Later David Harrison struck 10 boundaries in an entertaining 64 from 67 deliveries before Darren Gough brought the innings to a close by bowling him and brother Adam to end with figures of four for 104 from 29 overs.

Andy Bichel, Alex Tudor and Middlebrook shared the other wickets but they were unable to prevent Glamorgan claiming maximum batting points for the third successive game.