Essex beat Glamorgan by five wickets after successfully chasing a target of 275 with seven balls to spare on the final day of their LV=County Championship match at the SWALEC Stadium.
The overnight pair resumed against the seam and swing of Reece Topley and David Masters, with Wagg gleefully biffing the latter through mid-off for three before twice steering Topley to third man as the lead went past 200. The all-rounder then completed his half-century from 67 balls by straight driving Masters for four - his ninth boundary - whilst Wallace also steered the veteran through the slips for another four.
A deft glance by Wagg against Topley to the ropes at long-leg, followed by a cut through gully by Wallace against Masters brought up the hundred stand. The Glamorgan captain then flicked Topley off his legs for four, but the left-armer then ended Wagg's merry spree as, with the total on 343, he had him caught behind. This brought Dean Cosker to the crease who together with Wallace watchfully kept the scoreboard ticking over with a series of singles as Graham Napier returned to the attack.
Wallace entered the nineties with a couple of deft steers followed by a booming off drive against Napier as the lead also went beyond 250. But with the score on 375, Napier had Cosker caught behind with Michael Hogan duly joining his captain who still required four runs to become Glamorgan's first Championship centurion of the summer. A trio of singles took him to 99 followed by a cover drive for two against Bopara as the Glamorgan Beneficiary scored his 15th first-class hundred for Glamorgan, and his first against Essex.
His valiant innings ended though next over as he was bowled playing forward to Bopara and departed for 101 as Glamorgan lost their ninth wicket on 386. Five balls later Phillips bowled Hogan as Glamorgan were dismissed for 388 leaving the visitors a target of 275 in a minimum of 70 overs.
After the Welsh county had been dismissed for 388 shortly before lunch, play resumed with Essex's opening pair - Tom Westley and Jaik Mickleburgh - facing the new ball attack of Michael Hogan and Graham Wagg. Westley made a breezy start, beginning with an off drive in the fifth over as he posted the first boundary of the innings, followed by two more through the offside in Hogan's next over.
Mike Reed duly replaced Hogan at the River End and, like the Australian had done in his first over, also beat the edge of Westley's bat. But the Essex opener continued to find the ropes as he guided Wagg down to the vacant third man boundary before savagely pulling Reed for another four. With Wagg departing for treatment on his right foot, Hogan returned at the Cathedral Road End with Mickleburgh posting his first boundary as he cover drove the paceman.
With an hour's play having elapsed, Dean Cosker entered the attack at the River End and was swept for four by Westley. A nurdled four by Mickleburgh against Hogan saw Essex reach fifty in the 20th over, but Westley then survived a loud shout for l.b.w. as he attempted to sweep Cosker. The opener then cover drove Hogan for another boundary before Jim Allenby entered the attack in place of the tall Australian and was guided to third man by Mickleburgh who then lofted Cosker over the head of mid-off as the target dropped below 200.
Mickleburgh continued in assertive vein by lofting Cosker to long-on and then nudging Allenby to third man before Westley reached his fifty from 103 balls by sweeping Cosker for four, shortly before driving Reed to see his side to the 100-mark. Next ball, Mickleburgh also reached his fifty from three figures as Marcus North also had a spell before tea.
With the total on 143 Allenby made the breakthrough as he trapped Mickleburgh l.b.w. for 66. This brought Ravi Bopara out to the middle and he opened his account by late cutting Allenby for four before Dean Cosker and Graham Wagg each returned to the attack. The Essex second wicket pair continued to quietly work the ball around as they chiselled away at the target, but with the total on 166, a mix-up in calling and some smart fielding by Hogan at short fine-leg saw Westley run out for 88.
Mark Pettini joined Bopara and nearly got run out as well with a single to his name but the throw by Wagg missed the stumps by a whisker. A flurry of far safer singles then followed as Essex went into the final hour needing 94 runs from the final sixteen overs. Pettini responded by cover driving Cosker, whilst Bopara guided Wagg through backward point before drilling him to the ropes at long-off as Essex reached the 200-mark in the 57th over.
Eleven runs later Cosker made a vital breakthrough as Bopara holed out to Stewart Walters at long-on and departed for 33. this brought the big-hitting Graham Napier to the crease and he immediately made his intentions clear by drilling Wagg to long-off and Cosker to wide long-on for a pair of lusty fours as the equation became 51 off 54 balls. But with the total on 230 Napier tried one lusty swipe too many against Cosker and holed out to Will Bragg at long-off.
His departure saw James Foster join Pettini who pulled Wagg for four as the target became 35 off 36 balls. Foster immediately swatted Cosker through the covers for four before dil-scooping Wagg to long-leg to take the equation to 21 off the last 24 balls. Pettini then found the mid-wicket ropes before further frantic singles and a leg-glance for three by Foster saw the target become nine from the last three overs.
Hogan duly returned for the last two overs at the Cathedral Road End and with seven needed Foster swatted a full toss to Allenby at short mid-wicket. The fielder then bowled the penultimate over and was struck over extra cover by Greg Smith to bring the scores level. Smith then scampered a single to secure victory with an over remaining.
