County Championship: Hasan Ali plunders late runs as Warwickshire build lead over Essex

Hasan Ali's unbeaten half-century was his first in English county cricket

Warwickshire restored control with a buccaneering last-wicket stand of 70 between Hasan Ali and Oliver Hannon-Dalby after Essex fought back hard on day two at Edgbaston.

After bowling Essex out for 126 on day one, then reaching lunch without losing a wicket, Warwickshire appeared set for only a modest lead when seven wickets fell in 17 overs to slide from 108-2 to to 172-9.

The momentum was firmly with Essex's seamers, led by New Zealand's Doug Bracewell (4-51), but last pair Hasan, who hammered four fours and four sixes in his 53 not out from 47 balls, and Hannon-Dalby lifted the Bears score to 242.

That lead of 116 was then trimmed to 30 by the time Essex had closed on 86-4.

After Warwickshire resumed on the second morning on 17-2, skipper Will Rhodes (63) and Sam Hain (45) batted through to end the morning session just 22 behind.

But Shane Snater triggered the collapse when he did for Hain and Dan Mousley in successive overs. And Bracewell's removal of Ed Barnard for an attractive 28 off 39 balls was the first of five wickets in 32 balls.

Sam Cook trapped Danny Briggs lbw, while Bracewell induced edges from Michael Burgess, Chris Rushworth and Rhodes.

But the Bears' last pair brought the crowd to their feet with an audacious counter-attack, begun by Hasan when he twice launched Cook into the Hollies Stand, and Hannon-Dalby joined in with successive sixes pulled off Bracewell to raise the 50 stand from 50 balls.

Hassan located the seating again to bring up his half-century from 33 balls - before Hannon-Dalby was finally caught behind.

Second time around, Essex lost Nick Browne, bowled by Rushworth in the third over before Barnard ousted Westley and Hasan dismissed former England captain Alastair Cook.

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