County Championship Cricket LIVE: Scores, radio commentary & updates from four games

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Sam Hain seemed to be playing on a different wicket to his Warwickshire teammates and stood unbeaten on 88 as the hosts were bowled out for 190, a decent recovery from 96-6.

Paul Walter and Charlie Allison’s stand of 84 has helped put Essex in a strong position in reply, but Hain believes the game remains very much in the balance.

Essex resume 80 runs behind with seven wickets intact and Allison unbeaten on 40, but on a pitch which hasn’t proved easy going thus far.

“I think the game’s pretty even,” he said.

“It would have been nice to nip another one out tonight but the pitch is still offering something so if we can bowl well and get a couple of wickets early tomorrow the game will even right up.”

Hain had to dig in against some fine bowling from Essex, spearheaded by Jamie Porter’s four-wicket haul.

“I was pleased to get some runs. It wasn’t the prettiest of innings but that’s really because the Essex guys bowled well.”