Lunch at Edgbastonpublished at 13:08 BST
13:08 BST
Warks v Essex 80-5 – target 206
What a morning in Birmingham, which has ripped this game wide open.
The drama started in the second over of the day, Keith Barker taking three wickets – he had Dean Elgar trapped lbw when offering no shot, induced an uppish drive from nightwatchman Sam Cook which went to cover, and then bowled Charlie Allison.
Ethan Bamber accounted for Matt Critchley, who cut him to cover, before Luc Benkenstein survived a delivery that rolled back on to his stumps but didn’t dislodge the bails.
He and Paul Walter dug in before the latter presented Barker with a catch at mid off.
Benkenstein is still there, on 37 not out, and much will depend on him as Essex’s seemingly chaseable target of 206 suddenly seems a little way in the distance.
Wicket-keeper Michael Pepper is supporting Benkenstein, on 9 not out from 38 balls.
The visitors need 126 more to win.