DAN Lawrence got some useful red-ball practice before he joins up with the England squad later this week as he and Shane Snater helped Essex into a commanding position on day one of their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Glamorgan.

Returning to the Sophia Gardens venue where they had been beaten by five wickets by Glamorgan in the semi-finals of the Royal London Cup, Essex reduced the home side to 59 for six by lunch in the Division Two clash, before dismissing them for 134. Snater took six wickets for 39 runs.

Lawrence, named in the England squad for the fourth Test against India on Thursday, enjoyed an unbeaten partnership of 51 for the third wicket after the visitors had lost Sir Alastair Cook and captain Tom Westley early in their first-innings reply.

Lawrence, hoping for an international recall at The Oval following the withdrawal of Jos Buttler, batted steadily for his 29 off 78 balls in 104 minutes at the crease.

When bad light ended play 10 minutes early, Essex were only 42 runs behind with eight wickets in hand at 92 for two.

Glamorgan skipper Chris Cooke won the toss and decided to bat. It was a decision he was to rue when he found his side languishing at 59 for six at lunch after 30 overs.

After New Zealand opener Hamish Rutherford crashed two boundaries off Jamie Porter’s opening over, it looked a good decision. However, he soon lost his partner.

Back from Hundred duty with the Welsh Fire, David Lloyd lasted seven minutes and a mere four balls before he was caught in the slips by Simon Harmer off Sam Cook.

That brought Steve Reingold to the crease for his first-class debut and over the next nine overs he helped to push the score along to a more respectable 39 for one.

Then Snater took centre stage and completely transformed the shape of the game with a devastating spell of seam bowling from the river end after being introduced into the attack in the 11th over.

He conceded eight runs in his opening over as Rutherford hit him to the boundary with consecutive balls, but hit back twice to take two wickets in an over as Glamorgan tumbled to 57 for five.

Snater had Reingold caught in the slips by Harmer with the first delivery of his second over and three balls later Billy Root was trapped lbw without scoring.

That brought Kiran Carlson, the man who led Glamorgan to their Royal London Cup triumph over Durham at Trent Bridge, to the crease.

He looked comfortable as he stroked three boundaries to go through 800 first-class runs for the season but was undone by the first ball of Snater’s fourth over, caught low down at first clip by Cook.

Four balls later, Snater removed Glamorgan captain Cooke, who shouldered arms to a delivery that cut back and hit his off stump.

And another four balls later Harmer snapped up the key wicket of Rutherford for 31 as Michael Pepper picked up a bat and pad catch at short leg.

Glamorgan limped to lunch without losing any more wickets – although Dan Douthwaite was lucky to survive a low slip catch to Harmer off Snater – and faced an uphill task in the second session.

A boundary apiece from Andrew Salter and Douthwaite offered some promise, but when Salter skied a chance to Lawrence at deep mid on off Harmer in the 34th over, the home side were 69 for seven.

There was at least a little wag in the Glamorgan tail to get them up to three figures.

Douthwaite and Lukas Carey put on 46 for the ninth wicket, with the former hitting eight boundaries in his 39. Carey’s final flourish included two sixes and four fours in a very welcome 29 as Snater mopped up the tail to finish with six for 39.

Essex lost former England skipper Cook in the second over when he was caught behind for a third ball duck.

And the visitors were 41 for two when wicketkeeper Cooke held on to a nick from Westley.

Nick Browne then went on to reach his 50 in 125 balls as he dropped anchor for the visitors.