A career-best six for 91 from Dean Cosker and 89 not out from captain Jamie Dalrymple put Glamorgan in a strong position at the end of the third day of their important LV County Championship Division Two clash against Essex at Cardiff.

After Essex were bowled out for 288 to give Glamorgan a 23-run lead on first innings, the home side went on to make 279 for nine in their second innings for an overall advantage of 302.

Essex's first innings only lasted a further 5.4 overs at the start of the morning session. Resuming on their overnight score of 277 for seven the visitors were only able to add 11 more runs before Cosker bowled them out in a burst of three for nought from 13 balls.

Cosker, who finished with his fourth career five-for, bowled David Masters in his second over.

He also broke through the defences of Mark Pettini, who fell 10 runs short of his century and next ball bowled Danish Kaneria.

Armed with a first-innings lead of 23 Glamorgan took 10 off Graham Napier's opening over including two fours for Gareth Rees.

But Napier retaliated in his second over by having Mark Cosgrove caught behind.

Even with the introduction of Kaneria, however, Rees and Will Bragg added

a useful 59 for the second wicket.

Both batsmen employed the sweep to good effect as Glamorgan brought up the 50 in the 11th over.

Kaneria was taken out of the attack for the final over before lunch and it proved a good move as Tom Westley's part-time off-spin accounted for Rees, who gave a bat-and-pad catch to short leg. It left Glamorgan 79 for two, a lead of 102.

Westley, who had not taken a championship wicket this season before this game, struck again in his next over, bowling Michael Powell for a duck to leave Glamorgan 81 for three.

Dalrymple began to play confidently but on 117 for three Masters returned to the attack at the River End and his third delivery accounted for Bragg, who edged behind three short of his half-century.

A further 29 runs were accrued for the fifth wicket when wicketkeeper James Foster produced a smart catch to dismiss the sweeping Jim Allenby.

The main partnership of the innings was a 71-run effort between Dalrymple, who went to 50 from 114 balls, and Mark Wallace, who played positively but fell two short of his half-century, top-edging Kaneria into Foster's gloves.

But Dalrymple saw the rest of the day through to stumps.