Ethan Bamber (second left) took his first-ever six-wicket haul in the Rothesay County Championship, Division One at Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford (day one).

Essex: 134 - Bell 61; Bamber 6-26

Warwickshire: 151-9 - Hain 58*; Snater 3-17

Warwickshire (3 pts) lead Essex (3 pts) by 17 runs.

Ethan Bamber claimed a career-best 6-26 against Essex to keep Warwickshire's County Championship hopes alive on a day of 19 wickets at Chelmsford. In the process of helping to skittle relegation-threatened Essex for 134 in 44 overs, 27-year-old Bamber passed 100 first-class wickets for the Bears in two seasons since moving from Middlesex, 59 of them this season to rival Kyle Abbott as Division One's leading wicket taker.

In a display of controlled pace bowling, Bamber took three of the first four Essex wickets for seven runs in eight overs, then wrapped up the innings with the final three for 11 in just five overs. Only wicketkeeper-batsman George Bell and tail-ender Zaman Akhter in a stand of 68 for the eighth wicket applied any real resistance. Bell, coming in at 33-5, soon to be 33-7, was there unbeaten at the end on 61. Since signing on loan from Lancashire, he has now hit 153 runs in three innings and only once been out. But for Bell, the Bears would have bowled out Essex for a lot less than 100.

However, spurred by his valiant efforts, the injury-hit hosts refused to submit. They then had Warwickshire in similar disarray on 151-9 by the close, just 17 runs ahead. Shane Snater took three of those wickets before succumbing to injury, while spinner Matt Critchley also ended with three late in the day, starting with Bears captain Ed Barnard.

But the dependably solid Sam Hain stuck around for the visitors. After his most productive partnership of 36 with former England all-rounder Chris Woakes (23) was ended by a vicious off-break from Mitch Killeen, Hain was still there at the close on 58 not out with Olly Hannon-Dalby, who is yet to face a ball but is noted for his past survival deeds coming in as last man.

Warwickshire began this game in third place, five points behind leaders Somerset and a point behind second-placed Notts. While the Bears look highly unlikely to gain any batting points, needing 99 more runs, they can be comforted that rivals Notts and Somerset have both so far struggled with the bat too.

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