Allison leads Essex march with safety in sight

Charlie Allison fell two runs shy of a century in an effective batting display by Essex on the second day of their Rothesay County Championship match with Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Advancing towards the draw that would secure their Division One status, Essex closed on 325 for 5 with Allison's 98 off 175 balls heading an impressive collective effort. No batter scored fewer than 25 while Michael Pepper made 54 not out (94), Dean Elgar 48 (111) and Matt Critchley 47 (64).

After a washout on the first day and, judging by the weather forecast, very little play likely on the third, this match appears nailed on for a draw which would send both teams into next week's final games safely clear of the bottom two.

In their last home match of the season, Warwickshire chose to bowl and were unlucky not to take more than one wicket in the morning session. Olly Hannon-Dalby in particular maintained high pressure, conceding just three runs from his first seven overs, but the ball frequently beat the bat rather than taking the edge.

Elgar and Paul Walter added 41 in 14 overs before the latter was lured into driving at a wide ball from Nathan Gilchrist and edged to wicketkeeper Alex Davies.

Elgar moved diligently to 48 in 144 minutes then perished in similar fashion to his opening partner. The left-hander edged Gilchrist to second slip where Rob Yates accepted his 15th Championship catch of the season.

When Tom Westley drove around an Ethan Bamber yorker, Essex were 111 for 3 but Allison and Critchley ensured there was no collapse with a measured partnership of 98 in 25 overs. Critchley was closing in on his 33rd first-class half-century when he nicked an excellent ball from Michael Booth to Davies.

Allison found another resolute partner in Pepper. Both scored Championship centuries against Warwickshire at Chelmsford in July and this time they added 77 in 20 overs.

Allison, having spent quite some time in the 90s, then attacked the wrong ball from Bamber and Rob Yates accepted his 16th championship catch of the season. That proved to be the only wicket with the new ball.

Again, Warwickshire's seamers bowled well without much luck but Pepper completed his half-century in the day's penultimate over and Essex can be well-satisfied with a strong day's work by their batters.

Without Shane Snater (calf injury) and Sam Cook, who sustained a broken thumb during the Hundred, Essex are giving a first class debut to seamer Charlie Bennett.