County Championship: Peter Siddle takes 5-33 as Essex build a lead against Warwickshire

Australian Peter Siddle was acclaimed by captain Ryan ten Doeschate after the 23rd five-wicket haul of his first-class career

Essex's Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle took 5-33 - including a burst of four wickets in five overs - to put them on top against Warwickshire.

Defending their previous day's score of 245, Essex made an inexperienced Bears batting line-up buckle to 33-4.

Tim Ambrose (38) and Michael Burgess (34) stopped the rot with a stand of 64, but Siddle returned to the attack to bowl the Bears out for 161.

Essex then closed on 73-1 to go into day three with a lead of 157 runs.

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Sir Alastair Cook is at the crease on 34, alongside nightwatchman in Matt Quinn, who came in following the late loss of Nick Browne for 38.

With leaders Somerset labouring against Yorkshire at Headingley and Essex appearing to be on course for a seventh win in eight games, this is shaping up to be a big week in the 2019 County Championship title race.

Essex fast bowler Matt Quinn:

"We're in a pretty good spot. We'll bat for as long as we can and take it to a position where we can't lose the game. You always want to give them as hard a chase as you can. Time will possibly come into it as well.

"It's quite a good surface out there. The ball spun a bit but there aren't really any demons out there. It's going to need hard graft to bowl them out again.

"I'm looking forward to batting with Alastair Cook in the morning. I'll be playing for a bit of pride - I won't want to get out like an idiot. I'll have a look in the morning and see how we go.

Bears coach Jim Troughton told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:

"It is all about controlling the run-rate. If we can pick up wickets and get into the middle-order, we showed in the first innings we can wickets in clusters. Then we'll have to try and back ourselves to bat for four sessions.

"Will Rhodes has been a bit of a golden arm for us with that wicket at the end. In the Kent game, which was a bit of a bowler's graveyard, e bowled a lot of overs there and gained confidence. He also played here on loan so it's not an unfamiliar environment for him. He's bowled really well. That's a good sign for us to know we've got that option to go to.

"Rob Yates has impressed me all season, batting three in First Division cricket as a 19-year-old. He's definitely one to watch. He was slightly unlucky with his lbw, but he did a lot of hard work and he's the kind of guy who will be keen to do it again in the second innings."