Glamorgan get the better of Essex

Glamorgan secured their first LV= County Championship win of the season with 30 overs to spare on Thursday despite a spirited effort from Essex's batsmen at Sophia Gardens.

After their disappointing first-innings performance many expected the visitors to fold quickly, but to their credit they took the game into the final session and if any of the other batsman could have shared a substantial partnership with Ryan ten Doeschate (74 not out) they could have pulled off an unexpected win.

On a pitch which helped the quicker bowlers, Glamorgan were without their fourth seamer David Lloyd for all but 4.2 overs of the game, but the others performed admirably - especially young off-spinner Andrew Salter (three for 54) in his first championship game of the campaign - as the hosts secured an 89-run triumph.

Kent also got off the winning mark as Joe Denly and Sam Northeast batted the visitors to victory on the final day against Gloucestershire at Bristol.

Denly was 117 not out and captain Northeast unbeaten on 88 as the visitors reached their target of 241 with eight wickets and 29 overs to spare to claim 20 points to Gloucestershire's three.

Kent were 35 for two at one point, but Denly rode his luck early on to blossom with 12 fours and three sixes in reaching his hundred off 179 balls .

Jason Roy and Kumar Sangakkara struck centuries as Surrey's rain-dominated match against Northamptonshire ended in the inevitable draw.

The visitors finished on 499 for six, with Roy completing a career-best 140 alongside the Sri Lankan's 111.

Together they shared a partnership of 170 in just under 36 overs for the fifth wicket and looked untroubled on the most placid of pitches.