COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Edgbaston:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY THREE: Essex 114 & 99-3, Warwickshire 155
Warwickshire 3pts, Essex 3pts
Match scorecard
 Masters has now taken 51 Championship wickets this summer |
Essex's bowlers led the fightback to leave their clash with fellow strugglers Warwickshire finely poised after day three at Edgbaston. The visitors resumed on 90-7 and saw Ravi Bopara remain unbeaten on 53 as Boyd Rankin (5-16) took the final three wickets to bowl Essex out for 114. The Bears were then dismissed for 155, Richard Johnson top-scoring with 39, as the Essex attack shared the wickets. Essex reached 99-3 by stumps, a lead of 58, with Matt Walker unbeaten on 33. It leaves the game intriguingly poised, with both sides desperate to somehow win it on the final day to boost their chances of avoiding relegation. Warwickshire will certainly not relish a big run chase, though, having curiously mustered 155 in all three of their Championship innings against Essex this summer, albeit the second of those being in a successful run chase in a seven-wicket win at Southend.  | 606: DEBATE |
The Bears certainly began the day on the front foot as Rankin ripped through the Essex tail to finish with career-best figures. But Warwickshire's batting has been their Achilles heel all summer and so it proved again as David Masters (3-39) and Tom Palladino (2-17) reduced them to 45-5. Maurice Chambers and Ryan ten Doeschate also took two wickets, with only a stand of 54 - the first half-century partnership of the match - between Johnson and Neil Carter (28) rescuing the Bears. Essex were soon in trouble second time around too as Chris Woakes bowled Jaik Mickleburgh with his second ball before trapping Bopara lbw for 13. Billy Godleman added 44 with Walker but fell leg before to Darren Maddy just before the close to leave both sides with plenty to play for.
| 
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Bookmark with:
What are these?