CHELMSFORD (third day of four)

Leicestershire 159 and 449 (HD Ackerman 112, PA Nixon 92 not out, CW Henderson 66, HH Dippenaar 64, RN ten Doeschate 5 for 58). Essex 164 and 69 for 1.

Lunch

It did not take Hylton Ackerman long to complete his third championship century of the season and his fifth in all competitions when Leicestershire resumed 228 runs ahead with seven wickets in hand.

The former South Africa batsman, 90 overrnight, took two fours off Alex Tudor in the first over of the day and had hit 13 fours and two sixes when he reached his hundred off 160 balls.

Nadeem Malik, the night watchman, had helped add 48 in 23 overs when he was caught at midwicket off Ryan ten Doeschate but then Leicestershire lost two more wickets for the addition of 11 runs. Ackerman was leg before to ten Doeschate for 112 and Jim Allenby was caught behind off Tony Palladino for a duck to leave the game in the balance.

Tea

Leicestershire had lost four wickets for 31 when ten Doeschate completed his second five-wicket haul of the season by having Jacques du Toit caught in the gully as he tried to pull but Paul Nixon ensured that Essex would have to face a formidable target.

The Leicestershire captain, whose 57 had rescued his side from a perilous 24 for five in the first innings, reached his second fifty of the match off 83 balls with five fours.

Claude Henderson also passed fifty off 88 balls with seven fours and by tea they had added 106 for the eighth wicket to put Leicestershire 407 ahead.

Close

The eighth wicket was worth 136 in 36 overs when Henderson was caught at long on off Ravi Bopara for 66, leaving Nixon needing 11 runs to complete his 19th first-class century.

He did not make it, Dillon du Preez running himself out and Garnett Kruger falling lbw to Bopara to leave him stranded on 92 but he had led Leicestershire to a total of 449 and set Essex 445 to win in a minimum of 120 overs.

They made a poor start when Tom Westley was caught behind off du Preez but Jason Gallian and Bopara were still there at the close with the requirement down to 376 off 96 overs.