County Championship: Simon Harmer on 62 for Essex after Danny Briggs hits 66 for Bears

Danny Briggs' 66 not out for Warwickshire against Essex was his highest score in County Championship cricket

Warwickshire spinner Danny Briggs made 66 not out to help the Bears put on 91 for their last two wickets and limit red-ball kings Essex to an 11-run first-innings lead at Edgbaston.

But then fellow spinner Simon Harmer turned the game back in Essex's favour with an unbeaten 62, rescuing his side from 93-6 to close on 213-9, 224 ahead.

Briggs was aided by 25 from number 10 Craig Miles as the Bears made 284.

Miles then did the business with the ball too, taking 4-62.

When Briggs and Miles began their ninth-wicket stand on Friday, the Bears still trailed by 102.

But Briggs' second-highest first-class score, beaten only once in his career by a ton for his previous club Hampshire against South Africa A in 2017, has at least given Warwickshire a chance.

Further fuelled by his 25-run last-wicket stand with Oliver Hannon-Dalby, it helped Warwickshire earn two unexpected batting points as well as almost matching the Essex score.

That inspired the Bears to take wickets, starting with Alastair Cook, who maintained his comparatively poor start to the campaign by giving Hannon-Dalby a sharp, low catch to Rob Yates at slip.

Miles then got rid of Tom Westley and Nick Browne before Paul Walter edged Hannon-Dalby's final ball of the session.

Olly Stone then trapped Ryan ten Doeschate to leave Essex 36-5 with a lead of only 47, before England's Dan Lawrence began the revival with 55 in the afternoon session.

Miles then returned to centre stage, tempting Adam Wheater to pull to square leg, hitting Harmer on the helmet and running out Lawrence from mid-on after tea.

But South African spinner Harmer and Australian paceman Peter Siddle dug in to ensure that, even if the Bears claim the final wicket first thing in the morning, Warwickshire already face a tricky victory target on a pitch offering turn.

Warwickshire fast bowler Craig Miles:

"It's going into day four with all results possible. It's great to be going toe-to-toe with a team like Essex.

"It was not a bad day for me personally as well. I had to work hard with the bat with Danny Briggs last night. He was a massive help. He kept us in the game

"The new ball is crucial here. Once you are through that the middle period you can cash in, so hopefully the boys will get us off to a good start to chase whatever total we are set."

Essex batting coach Tom Huggins:

"The lads showed typical character and fight. At 36-5, it was not the position we wanted to find ourselves in.

"But Dan Lawrence and Adam Wheater pulled things around and Simon Harmer added valuable runs at the end.

"There is plenty of cricket left in this game yet, but we feel we have given ourselves a chance that didn't seem likely going into lunch."