Essex 168 (Westley 80, Briggs 4-31) and 290 for 8 (Harmer 60*, Rossington 52, Lawrence 44, Hannon-Dalby 3-36) lead Warwickshire 385 (Burgess 170, Lamb 71) by 73 runs
England batter Dan Lawrence defied Warwickshire despite a hamstring injury as Essex battled to avoid defeat in a gripping LV=Insurance County Championship match at Edgbaston.
Trailing by 217 on first innings, Essex closed the third day on 290 for 8 - 73 ahead - with Lawrence, who batted at No. 7 and with a runner, having bolstered their resistance with a valiant 44 from 105 balls.
The 24-year-old's movement was clearly restricted by the injury he sustained while chasing a ball in the field on the first day. But his resolve, in alliance with Simon Harmer - who ended the third day 60 not out - in a seventh-wicket stand of 81 in 29 overs, kept their team alive.
On a good batting pitch, Warwickshire's bowling was superbly led Oliver Hannon-Dalby (22-13-36-3) but they missed pace spearhead Liam Norwell, ruled out of the rest of this match by concussion after being hit on the head while batting. A scan has revealed no serious damage for Norwell who will now rest for a few days.
Essex resumed on nought for one, under serious pressure, but applied themselves diligently to the rearguard action. Several of their batters were guilty of reckless shots in the first innings, but this time they ensured that wickets had to be winkled out.
Two were in the first session and three in the second. In the morning, Tom Westley, having eked 10 runs from 62 minutes, fell to Will Rhodes and Alastair Cook, on 36, to Hannon-Dalby, both caught by wicketkeeper Michael Burgess.
Matt Critchley batted attractively after lunch until his middle-stump was uprooted by Hannon-Dalby whose figures, at that point, were 13.1-11-9-3. Adam Wheater was bowled by a Henry Brookes no ball on six, but soon skied a good length delivery from the same bowler to mid off.
Lawrence's entry with a runner showed Essex's determination to fight every inch of the way. He soon lost Adam Rossington, who made a compact half-century before nicking an attempted cut at Danny Briggs.
That was 172 for 6 and Essex were still in deep trouble, but Harmer, perhaps motivated in part by his sloppy dismissal in the first innings, knuckled down assiduously alongside Lawrence. The pair batted with patience and composure until Lawrence edged concussion substitute Craig Miles to Burgess.
Harmer and Shane Snater then added 46 in ten overs but the latter's punchy contribution of 21 from 33 balls concluded in the day's penultimate over when he chipped Miles to mid-wicket.
