Dean Elgar signs off with one last ton as Essex battle in follow-on

Glamorgan made to work harder for their rewards but still comfortably on top after day three

Essex 129 (Zain 5-14) and 331 for 5 (Elgar 108, Westley 65, Bell 59*) trail Glamorgan 505 by 45 runs

Dean Elgar scored a faultless century in the last innings of his professional career as Essex put a hold on Glamorgan's advances while following on.

The South African struck 108 to pass three figures for a 57th time in his 284-match first-class career which spanned two decades. With support from Tom Westley in a 166-run partnership, and a counterattacking 42-ball half-century from loanee George Bell late in the day, Essex managed to fight back to 331 for 5 at the end of day three.

Zain-ul-Hassan earlier took career-best figures for the second time in as many weeks; the all--rounder's 5 for 14 bettering his four-for against Surrey in the previous round. Essex's first innings was reduced to 129 all out, trailing by 376, and the visitors were duly asked to follow on.

With Leicestershire's defeat against Warwickshire inside three days confirming their final tally, Essex sit 16 points ahead in eighth - with one bowling point here to add - as they await confirmation of survival pending the appeal over a sanction for the Grace Road pitch last month.

Glamorgan dominated the first two days of play by batting for five sessions then piling pressure onto Essex at 100 for 7. Only 29 runs were added for the loss of the final three wickets inside the first hour; Simon Harmer's sprightly 35 the top score of the innings. With only 12 overs in the bowlers' legs, and 45.1 overs overall, the follow on was enforced.

Despite Zain's impressive start to the day, extending on his three-for from overnight, orthodoxy returned as Timm van der Gugten and Raymond Toole took the new ball in Glamorgan's second go at Essex.

From ball one it was evident that conditions had changed. The sun was beating on the Sophia Gardens pitch and Elgar was much more circumspect than in his first effort.

Zain was introduced as part of a double change with Dan Douthwaite inside the first 10 overs and the former got the initial breakthrough of Paul Walter ahead of lunch.

With workloads of Glamorgan's seamers a point of concern with injuries spread across the squad, it was no surprise that Douthwaite and spin would need to bowl more after not being required in the first innings.

Elgar and Westley were able to form a partnership with ease, the pair moving unscathed through the afternoon session. Elgar played with a method that has served him successfully for a number of years, finding value in glancing and guiding balls to vacant areas. Meanwhile, Westley, who has been short of runs of late, took advantage of tiring seamers straying on line and the spin pairing of Ben Kellaway and Mason Crane with attacking fields.

With one came two, though, as Kellaway picked up both set batters leg-before within two overs of one another. Still with a hefty deficit, Charlie Allison and Matt Critchley weren't afraid to play shots to the short straight boundary at the River Taff end off Kellaway, but eventually second guessing themselves brought about their downfall. Critchley, shaping to sweep, gave Crane a first wicket before Allison hit a full toss straight up to mid-on.

The late flurry of wickets for Glamorgan was met by a freewheeling innings from Bell, who made a half-century in just 31 minutes at the crease, reaching the milestone with four consecutive boundaries off the first over with the second new ball from Toole. Bell and Noah Thain go into day four with an 65-run unbeaten stand and a deficit of just 45 courtesy of the boundary-filled final hour.