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A downcast Joe Root suggested that England’s senior players still have a role to play in the future after England surrendered their hold on the Ashes in an innings-and-41-run defeat

George Dobell in Perth18-Dec-20172:27

Root puts poor form down to ‘trying too hard’

England’s Ashes defeat is not “a fair reflection” of how they have played or “what we’re capable” of achieving, according to Joe Root.Encouraged by England’s ability to compete for periods in each game but frustrated by their inability to sustain it, England’s captain urged his side to learn from Australia’s ability to seize the key moments and register better results in the final two matches of the series.”One of the most frustrating things is that we haven’t been blown away or completely outplayed,” Root said, despite victory margins of 10 wickets in Brisbane, 120 runs in Adelaide and an innings and 41 runs in Perth. “We have put up some really good performances in all three matches, but not for long enough.”There have been periods when we have matched and outplayed Australia. But credit to them, because they grasped the key moments in each game. We have got to learn from that. Our biggest challenge in the two remaining games is get in a position of strength, drive it home and make sure we walk away with some results from this tour.”I don’t think these three games is a fair reflection of how we’ve played and what we’re capable of. So, I think we need to do ourselves and the supporters back home justice in the final two games of the series.”While Root, the England captain, admitted his side had been “outplayed in all three games” he urged the team management not to panic and insisted that the senior players who had underperformed in Australia – Alastair Cook in particular – should still be in the side in a year’s time.”I’d like to think they are still in the side in a year,” Root said. “They have a huge amount of experience and they do offer a lot to this group. Their performances over a long period of time speak for themselves. I see no reason why throughout the rest of this series they can’t do well again.A lot to ponder for Joe Root•Getty ImagesThe senior guys have proved they can produce for England time and again. It is very important that me and Trevor Bayliss don’t panic or make hasty decisions despite three games which haven’t gone in our favour. We have to be very realistic about where we are as a side and what is going to be most important is making sure we field a team that is going to give us the best chance to win.”Cook has done it so many times before. He is a very stubborn guy who likes proving people wrong. As he said before this game, the amount of extra work he is putting in behind the scenes tell me he is desperate to keep going.”On the state of the WACA pitch, which required the use of leaf-blowers to remove some notable damp patches, Root was cautious in his criticism, particularly after Jonny Bairstow’s early dismissal to a delivery that kept noticeably low.”When we got here this morning it definitely wasn’t fit to play,” he said. “But it dried up this morning, the sun got to it, the wind got it, they obviously worked very hard to get it right, and by the end there it was probably fit to play.”

Manchester United have started their 2023/24 Premier League campaign off rather meekly. They were lucky to escape with all three points against Wolverhampton Wanderers last week before going down 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur on the weekend.

Three points from six and just one goal scored wasn’t the start Erik ten Hag was anticipating, and he will be even more concerned by some of the performances, particularly from new signing Mason Mount.

The £60m summer arrival from Chelsea was expected to improve the United midfield.

Against Spurs, however, he was almost non-existent, having completed only 15 accurate passes and taken as few as 27 touches – even Andre Onana recorded more passes and touches, signifying how poorly he played as a creative-minded midfielder that makes things happen in the engine room.

Could this perhaps give the Dutchman a licence to dive back into the transfer market and lure another midfielder to Old Trafford?

The club have recently been on a scouting mission to France…

Will Manchester United make more signings?

United have shown interest in a few players during the final weeks of the transfer window, most notably defenders.

Frenchman Jean Clair-Todibo has been linked with a move and the Red Devils even sent scouts to monitor his performance for OGC Nice a couple of weeks ago.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

This wasn’t the only player that United were keeping tabs on, however.

According to Get French Football News, OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram was also being closely monitored in light of a potential move to England.

He wouldn’t break the bank either, with the Ligue 1 outfit valuing one of their prized assets at around €40m (£34m) and could Ten Hag act swiftly and bring him to Manchester in the coming days?

What could Khephren Thuram offer Manchester United?

With Rasmus Hojlund injured and Mount failing to showcase his true abilities so far, Ten Hag’s summer recruitment may soon come under criticism, with just Onana enjoying a solid start.

Thuram has enjoyed an impressive spell with Nice since joining in 2019, making 140 appearances and last season was his most productive yet, registering ten goal contributions – two goals and eight assists – across 50 appearances. This is made even better by the fact he typically operated as a defensive midfielder.

Mount was deployed in a deeper role against Spurs alongside Casemiro, yet it clearly didn’t work out and Thuram could certainly be an instant upgrade on the former Chelsea gem in this position.

Indeed, last season, the Frenchman registered more league goal contributions (six v five), a higher pass success rate (85.1% v 75.2%), tackles won (25 v 19) and interceptions (38 v eight), suggesting that he offers more across both attacking and defensive metrics.

Thuram even ranked in the top 4% when compared to positional peers for progressive carries per 90 (3.4) and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90 (1.65).

Mount on the other hand failed to rank in the top 40% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.78) while ranking in the top 17% for progressive carries per 90 (2.24), indicating the difference between the two players.

Journalist Zach Lowy even dubbed him as an “elite ball carrier” amid Liverpool’s interest in the youngster earlier in the summer transfer window.

For a fee of just £34m, Ten Hag could sign a player who won't just be part of his future plans, but a talent that could force his way into the starting XI straight away and be an instant Mount upgrade in the process.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to add another option in the attacking department before the end of the summer transfer window.

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

MailSport journalist Tom Collomosse has claimed that the Hoops are one of the clubs keeping tabs on Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Daniel Podence as they eye up a new forward for Brendan Rodgers.

The attacker was left out of Gary O'Neil's squad to face Manchester United on Monday night in the Premier League and his club have placed a £12m valuation on his head with a few weeks to go before the deadline.

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph has backed up that information and added that the Hoops believe that there could be room to negotiate on that fee as the Portuguese wizard has less than 12 months left to run on his current contract.

How good is Daniel Podence?

The 5 foot 5 maestro is an exciting winger who could be a terrific partner for Liel Abada on the flanks for Rodgers, as both players could get fans off their seats with superb attacking play this season.

Podence, who scored six goals in 20 Premier League starts last term, caught the eye with his performances during the 2021/22 campaign for Wolves.

He scored two goals and created seven 'big chances' in 15 league starts, whilst the 27-year-old whiz also created 1.4 chances and completed 1.3 dribbles per game, as per Sofascore.

Meanwhile, no current Hoops player managed more than 1.3 dribbles and no current winger produced more than 1.1 key passes per match for the club, which suggests that Podence could excel at driving the team up the pitch and creating opportunities for his teammates.

Whilst his goal contributions may not stand out in comparison to Jota's 11 goals and 11 assists last term for the Bhoys, the difference in quality between the two leagues must be factored in.

The Premier League is currently top of the UEFA club coefficient standings and eight places above Scotland. This essentially means that the English top-flight has the best-performing clubs in Europe as a collective, which indicates that Podence could be up against far less quality week-in-week-out at Celtic.

Therefore, the Portuguese talent's numbers at the top end of the pitch could inflate with more chances to attack, given that the Hoops scored 114 league goals in comparison to Wolves' tally of 31.

This suggests that Podence could be an exciting player for Rodgers when you consider that he could build upon his already impressive numbers at Premier League level for key passes and dribbles.

He could, therefore, be an exciting ace to play on the opposite flank to Liel Abada, who is an excellent goalscoring option out wide.

The Israel international racked up ten Premiership strikes last term, which only Jota (11) and Kyogo Furuhashi (27) outperformed.

Abada also created ten 'big chances' for his teammates and was only rewarded with five assists, which suggests that his fellow attackers let him down.

Podence could help with that as he produced six goals and only missed three 'big chances' in the Premier League last season.

Therefore, the Wolves forward, whose touches were once dubbed "delightful" by pundit Alan Smith, could be a superb signing to play with the 21-year-old sensation on the flanks as they are both players who have the potential to score and create goals.

The allrounder took 4 for 60 and 6 for 57 to drown out a spirited fightback from Northern Districts

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2017A brave fight put up by Northern Districts, with wicketkeeper Tim Seifert coming out to bat after retiring hurt on the final day, was ultimately in vain as Wellington clinched their third victory in as many Plunket Shield games. Logan van Beek provided the star turn, picking up 6 for 57, which then took his match tally to 10 for 117. It was the first 10-wicket haul in first-class cricket for the seam-bowling allrounder, who has also played international cricket for NetherlandsVan Beek, 27, was instrumental in reclaiming lost momentum for Wellington. After they had put up a mammoth 380 in the first innings – led by fifties from Stephen Murdoch (97), Luke Woodcock (61) and Fraser Colson (52) – they stumbled to 158 all out in the second. James Baker, the 29 year old seamer playing his 50th first-class game, picked up 4 for 34. Brent Arnel, the workhorse who took 5 for 73 in 34.2 overs in the first innings, took 2 for 22.Northern Districts had to chase a target of 290. However, they ran into problems when van Beek struck twice in the 12th over to remove opener HR Cooper and the No. 3 Bharat Popli. The captain Daniel Flynn fell in the 21st and Seifert had to retire hurt a little later with the score on 103 for 3. Dean Brownlie top-scored with 72 off 117, but did not last long enough to truly worry Wellington. Hamish Bennett had him lbw to leave Northern Districts at 143 for 5 and van Beek took over from there, knocking over the tail and forcing Seifert to return to the crease. He made 43 off 92 balls and was the ninth man out with the score on 206. One run later, the game was done.Brownlie was the only Northern Districts batsman who consistently troubled the visitors, top-scoring in the first innings as well – 82 out of a total of 249. That left Wellington with a handy lead of 131, which in the end, proved more than decisive.

The opener added 142 with PJ Moor, who made 52, to help Zimbabwe recover from the depths of 14 for 3

The Report by Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo29-Oct-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHamilton Masakadza pierces the off side•AFPHamilton Masakadza’s fifth Test century carried Zimbabwe back into the match on a rainy first day at Queens Sports Club. Masakadza shared a 142-run partnership with PJ Moor to help the hosts recover from the depths of 14 for 3, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel having scythed through the top order under gunmetal grey skies after Graeme Cremer had opted to bat. Moor fell for 52, but Masakadza was unbeaten and unbowed on 101 when rain brought the day to a premature end after tea.As is often his wont, and possibly as an effect of the unseasonal cold that has descended on Bulawayo, Masakadza took some time to get going this morning. He did not score until his 17th delivery, and then did so in trademark style: thrashing a full ball through the covers with a solid crunch.At 34, Masakadza is the senior statesman of the side and he displayed the class and patience befitting his position. His knock wasn’t perfect, but he did enough to survive the edges and misses and was also granted the odd slice of luck. An edge off Roach fell short of the wicketkeeper, and a Gabriel no-ball granted a further reprieve.Beaten by the pace of a bouncer in the 11th over, Masakadza seemed to have inside edged a pull onto his own shoulder, the rebound being caught at gully. Umpire Simon Fry turned down the appeal, West Indies reviewed and Masakadza started walking off. But Gabriel had overstepped, and the no-ball allowed Masakadza to bat on. The opener remained particularly fluent through the covers.He found an obdurate partner in Moor, and gradually they helped Zimbabwe restore parity, the score creeping past 50 in the 21st over. Other teams have tested Moor with the short ball, and though the West Indies certainly have the personnel to do so their main line of attack was outside the off stump. Moor had the gumption to pick which ball to leave, and which to hit, and his patience barely faltered: his first boundary was a rasping cut off Holder in the 18th over, his second came more than 28 overs later and was no less well executed.At the other end, Masakadza continued to gain momentum, passing fifty from 96 deliveries. He celebrated that milestone with his first six of the day, rocking back to thump a Bishoo long-hop over deep midwicket. Gabriel was driven whenever he overpitched, while the introduction of Roston Chase was greeted with yet another crunching drive. The same bowler was dispatched over midwicket for Masakadza’s second six, the shot taking him past 2000 Test runs for Zimbabwe.Moor reached a dogged fifty, from 148 deliveries soon after tea, and Masakadza then brought up his own milestone with a confident drive down to long-on in the 60th over, just before the rain arrived. This was Masakadza’s fifth Test century, and his first since 2014.His runs were sorely needed by Zimbabwe. In polar conditions this morning, Gabriel and Roach had cut the hosts’ top order down to 14 for 3. The temperature was up to 38 degrees earlier this week, but plummeted ahead of this game and there were hands in pockets for the slips in the very cold weather. They stayed there for much of the morning with the sun nowhere to be seen, but Zimbabwe’s feet were even more leaden in the cold, and the opening stand lasted just four overs.Roach used the angle of his delivery stride and a touch of seam and swing to masterful effect to remove Solomon Mire, while the dismissal of Craig Ervine resulted more from fast bowling brawn than brain. Coming round the wicket from the Airport End, Gabriel speared a length delivery at the left-hander’s middle stump, beating him for pace. Such was the speed of the delivery the stump snapped in half, and Zimbabwe were 11 for 2.West Indies smelled blood, and Roach had three slips and a gully for the incoming Brendan Taylor. In the event, he needed no fielders at all as his testing lines and cunning changes of angle soon paid dividends. Neither forward nor back, and unsure whether to even play at a delivery whipping through the channel outside off, Taylor succeeded only in deflecting the ball onto his own stumps to leave Zimbabwe reeling at 14 for 3.West Indies might have had a fourth wicket in the first hour, but Gabriel’s front foot boo-boo gave Masakadza a second life. So far, he has made excellent use of it.

Manchester City have made a “fresh” approach for Lyon forward Bradley Barcola, and a reliable journalist has shared the club’s stance on a deal taking place.

Who is Bradley Barcola?

Barcola, primarily a right-winger, is an academy graduate at the Groupama Stadium having worked his way up through the various youth ranks to get promoted to Laurent Blanc’s first team back in January 2022, and since that time he’s gone on to make a total of 44 senior appearances to date.

The France youth international still has another three years to run on his contract in his homeland, but having established himself as the Ligue 1 outfit’s third best-performing offensive player last season, he’s grabbed the attention of Pep Guardiola and chiefs at the Etihad.

According to 90min, the Sky Blues regularly scouted the 20-year-old during the previous campaign, and after being hugely impressed by the talent they saw on offer, have reportedly identified him as an ideal replacement for Riyad Mahrez who left last month to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli in a £30m move.

Are Man City signing Bradley Barcola?

Taking to Twitter X, Gianluigi Longari revealed that Man City have taken their initial interest in Barcola one step further by holding preliminary discussions with Lyon to discover what it would take to bring him to the Premier League before the end of the transfer window. He wrote:

“Fresh contact between Manchester City #MCFC and Olympique Lyon #OL for Bradley #Barcola. He’s one of the City’s target.”

How good is Bradley Barcola?

Man City have reportedly seen an opening £70m offer for West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta turned down, but with outlets claiming that a second bid is being prepared, Barcola could be following in the formerly mentioned player’s footsteps to put pen to paper with the reigning champions should negotiations continue in a positive manner, and what an exciting double move it would be.

Lyon’s £6k-per-week earner has posted 19 goal contributions (12 assists and seven goals) in 44 senior outings at his club, not to mention that last season he ranked in the 94th percentile for attacking touches in the opposition’s penalty area, highlighting his desire to create chances for himself and his fellow teammates in the final third, and this form saw him receive three man-of-the-match awards from WhoScored.

The Villeurbanne native, who has been dubbed an “elite” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also has the versatility to operate everywhere across the frontline and even on the left side of the midfield, so he would give the manager great flexibility when it comes to choosing his formation and team selection should he want to include several different players altogether.

Finally, Barcola shares the same agent, Gestifute, as Ederson, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva, as per Transfermarkt, so this existing connection that his representative already has to the club could them a potential small advantage should they decide to continue pursuing a deal for the attacker in the closing stages of the summer market.

Liverpool have retained their interest in OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram this summer as Jurgen Klopp looks to complete his midfield ahead of a crucial Premier League campaign.

What's the latest on Khephren Thuram?

That's according to Tuttosport (via FC Inter News), who write that Liverpool are interested in signing the Frenchman but face a wave of competition from Inter Milan, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

The report claims that Thuram, the 'jewel' of Nice, is indeed attracting intense attention from said outfits are impressing in Ligue 1, with Les Aiglons believed to have placed a €50m (£43m) price tag on the energetic midfielder to ward off advances.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

While the 22-year-old is happy to stay put, Liverpool could do with a few more faces in the centre after losing James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on free transfers, Fabio Carvalho on loan and Fabinho and captain Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabian sides this summer.

How good is Khephren Thuram?

Liverpool signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion for £35m before swooping for the creative Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig for £60m, and while such purchases are impressive, more needs to be done to ensure the top-four is not missed for a second successive season.

While a move for holding midfielder Romeo Lavia is taking centre stage at present – the Reds have failed with three bids; Southampton are holding out for £50m – Thuram could be targetted next to close the door on the midfield rebuild.

Journalist Zach Lowy believes that Liverpool must strike a deal in any case, as he explained exactly what the box-to-box ace could bring for Klopp's side:

"Khephren Thuram is just the sort of player that Liverpool need to transform their midfield. Elite ball carrier for someone of his size and really effective at winning the ball high up the pitch — perfect signing for Klopp’s side."

If the Merseyside outfit do decide to forge ahead with another midfield transfer after the Lavia saga is concluded, one way or another, then the interest in Leicester City's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall must be abandoned in place of Nice's gem, who would surely bring more to the table for a lasting period.

According to Anfield Watch, Liverpool have been monitoring Dewsbury-Hall's progress with the Foxes over the past year, and have been left impressed despite suffering relegation from the Premier League.

The 24-year-old, who is rated at £24m by FootballTransfers, can hold his head high as many of his peers succumbed to dismal form and the defence capitulated to flood in the water and sink the ship.

As per Sofascore, he recorded an average league rating of 6.86 last term, completing 79% of his passes, forging 1.3 key passes and 1.7 tackles per outing and winning 52% of his ground duels.

Comparatively, Thuram averaged a match rating of 7.04 in France, completing 87% of his passes, making 1.1 key passes, 1.1 interceptions and 1.5 tackles per game and succeeding with 51% of his dribbles.

Once lauded as "tenacious" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Thuram also ranks among the top 5% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for progressive carries, the top 9% for successful take-ons, the top 21% for assists and the top 23% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref.

Dewsbury-Hall is listed as a comparable player to the one-cap France international, and while he does rank among the top 12% of positional peers for progressive carries, the top 10% for successful take-ons and the top 1% for blocks per 90, with such a similar profile to Thuram Klopp would have to decide between the pair.

And Thuram simply has to be the answer – at just 22 years of age, he could be moulded to the German manager's own creation and be nurtured into a truly world-class talent, one capable of spearheading Liverpool toward a new era of illustrious success.

Colin Ingram’s refashioned career as a specialist white-ball cricketer will come with leadership duties at Glamorgan

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2017Devastating South Africa batsman Colin Ingram and veteran Australian seamer Michael Hogan will share Glamorgan’s captaincy duties next season.The decision comes in the wake of Jacques Rudolph’s retirement. Rudolph stood down in the Championship in May, with Hogan stepping in on an interim basis, but he led Glamorgan to Finals Day in the NatWest Blast before his career came to an endIngram has turned himself into a white-ball specialist after a prolific limited-overs season fired his ambition to play in more global T20 tournaments worldwide.The standout performer of any county in limited overs cricket over the last two seasons, Ingram struck 1,026 runs and five centuries in white-ball competitions during 2017 and was named the PCA MVP award winner for the T20 Blast in 2016 and One-Day Cup in 2017.Ingram will feature for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash later this year but his only experience in the IPL came with the Delhi Daredevils before he joined Glamorgan at the end of 2014.Hogan will now continue to lead the side in red-ball cricket next term, while Ingram will have the captaincy duties in the One-Day Cup and T20 Blast competitions.In the first two games under Hogan’s leadership Glamorgan secured back-to-back victories against Durham at Swansea and at New Road over Worcestershire, the eventual Division Two champions, before finishing seventh in Division Two with a line-up featuring up to eight Academy graduates towards the end of the season.Glamorgan Chief Executive Hugh Morris, said: “We are very fortunate to have two excellent leaders within the squad and the decision to appoint Michael and Colin was unanimous by our Committee. By splitting the captaincy during a busy season both players can bring fresh impetus across the different formats.”

Fulham are "pressing" insistently to sign Leicester City defender Timothy Castagne and he could leave for just €15 million (£12.8m) this window, according to reports.

Who will Fulham sign this summer?

The Whites, after what seemed like weeks of waiting, have finally got to work on sealing official transfers before the start of 2023/2024.

Marco Silva's side have been linked with a plethora of players in the last two months but recently formalised their interest with two major signings.

Mexico international striker Raul Jimenez put pen to paper on a move from Wolves and could help to fill the hole left by the potentially departing Aleksandar Mitrovic. Meanwhile, Calvin Bassey's signing from Ajax gifts Silva some real defensive depth and quality.

Everton's Demarai Gray, Fluminese's Andre and Man United midfielder Fred have all linked in the past week too, so it looks like Fulham could yet make more additions before deadline day.

Another player to have been repeatedly linked with a move to Craven Cottage is Castagne, who suffered relegation with Leicester at the end of last season.

The 27-year-old is also attracting interest from Serie A giants Juventus with the Old Lady apparently entering pole position for him.

However, that isn't to say Fulham aren't in the race, with Italian news website TuttoJuve sharing an update on their links to the former Atalanta star.

Fulham's "pressing" to sign Castagne is "insistent" behind-the-scenes with it looking like they're determined to make a move, even despite the versatile defender already saying 'yes' to Juve.

The report adds that Leicester value him at around £12.8 million, meaning Silva could land him for a fairly reasonable fee, though one major obstacle in this is of course Juve's presence.

It will be interesting to see whether Fulham can sway Castagne into making a move back to the top flight rather than Turin.

How good is Timothy Castagne?

The full-back, who featured for Belgium at last year's 2022 World Cup in Qatar, was also a mainstay for Leicester last campaign.

No other Foxes player made more top flight appearances than Castagne, not even their goalkeepers, and he also ranked as one of their best-performing players by average match rating according to WhoScored.

Chipping in with two goals and three assists along the way, the Belgian could be a brilliant asset for Fulham, especially considering his versatility.

Castagne is capable of playing anywhere across the defence, at centre-back or full-back, not to mention further forward on either flank.

His experience is also a big draw, having featured in three different World Cups for the Red Devils throughout his career, and a European Championship as well.

Former Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers, speaking after his side snapped up Castagne in 2020, revered the player for his speed and application.

“I’ve watched Timothy Castagne for a number of years – he fits the profile of how I want to work," said Rodgers.

"He’s fast, non-stop running – he wants to score but he can defend – good composure. He’s a brilliant signing for us. He’ll prove to be a really good asset for us.”

Varun Chopra made 98 against his former county as Essex gradually made their superiority tell and the result of that might be that they are one day from the title

ECB Reporters Network13-Sep-20171:36

The latest shifts of fortune encapsulated in our Specsavers Championship round-up

Warwickshire 201 (Sibley 76, Porter 4-62, Harmer 4-47) and 7 for 0 trail Essex 369 for 9 dec (Chopra 98, Lawrence 78, Foster 68, Barker 3-71) by 161 runsEssex’s advance towards the Specsavers County Championship title this summer has included some spectacular days – this wasn’t one of them but still brought a strong stride towards glory as they built a commanding position against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.Replying to 201, Ryan ten Doeschate’s men made 369 for 9, a lead of 168, before declaring late in the day to give Warwickshire two awkward overs batting.The home side survived those unscathed on seven without loss but will have to bat with a resilience that has invariably been sorely lacking from them this season to get out of this hole. With nearest rivals Lancashire in trouble, having followed on at Taunton, Essex are on the threshold of the title.With plenty of time at their disposal, Essex’s batsmen built a position from which they will aim to close out victory on the third day. It was a collective effort led by Varun Chopra, Dan Lawrence and James Foster to which all the top eight, other than the skipper, contributed. After bowling well as a unit, the Division One leaders batted well as a unit, sustaining pressure on their opponents. The stuff of champions.Essex resumed on the second day on 69 without loss and lost two wickets in a morning. Opening pair Chopra and Nick Browne added 72 before the latter edged Keith Barker to second slip. Tom Westley batted sweetly for 28 until he nicked England team-mate Chris Woakes behind, after which Chopra and Lawrence put on 92 in 29 overs. The princely Chopra was within two runs of a century against his former team-mates when he perished lbw to medium-pacer Matt Lamb.Varun Chopra made 98 against his former county•Getty ImagesLawrence’s aggressive innings threatened to take the game away from Warwickshire rapidly but the beleaguered home side stuck to their task and hit back with two wickets in four balls for Ryan Sidebottom. Lawrence cut to gully and ten Doeschate played on for a third-ball duck.When Ravi Bopara fell lbw to Barker, Essex had lost four wickets for 51 runs in 17 overs and but Foster and Simon Harmer calmly eased the total upward with a partnership of 76 in 23 overs.Woakes ended that stand with an in-ducker which pinned Harmer, Neil Wagner edged Barker and, after Foster fell lbw to Jeetan Patel, Essex pulled out. Tomorrow they could be pulling out the corks on the champagne.