Paul Nixon, the Leicestershire captain, was denied his 19th first-class century when he ran out of partners on 92 but not before he had set Essex to make the highest fourth innings score in their 132-year history if they are to beat their promotion rivals.

They need 445, three more than they scored against Derbyshire at Derby in 1992 when Graham Gooch’s 123 not out led them to a four-wicket victory, and if they bat anything like they did in the first innings they will not get close to their target.

Victory is not out of the question, however, because the pitch has completely changed its character since the first day when 18 wickets went down for 293 and Jason Gallian and Ravi Bopara, Essex’s best two batsmen, were still there at the close, having reduced the target to 376 in 96 overs.

Leicestershire had started the day 228 ahead with seven wickets in hand and Hylton Ackerman, their former South Africa batsman, lost little time in completing his third championship century of the season and his fifth in all competitions.

Nadeem Malik, the night watchman, hung around for 23 overs but then Leicestershire lost four wickets for 31, three of them to Ryan ten Doeschate, the Netherlands all-rounder, who completed his second five-wicket haul of the season.

Leicestershire were then only 301 ahead but Nixon, whose 57 had saved his side from a rout in the first innings, frustrated Essex again by making 92 off 138 balls and Claude Henderson joined him in an eighth wicket stand of 136 before he was caught at long on for 66.

It had been a trying day for the Essex bowlers, Ten Doeschate excepted, and none more so than Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan leg-spinner, who is playing his first championship game of the season.

He finished with match figures of one for 124 from 39 overs with his only victim being Garnett Kruger, Leicestershire’s last man. He looks decidedly rusty, which is not altogether surprising because he had not bowled since March when he took two for 157 playing for Sind against Federal Areas in Pakistan’s domestic competition.

Leicestershire: First Innings 159 (P A Nixon 57; D D Masters 6 for 24)

Second Innings (overnight 233-3)<WC1>
T J New c Gallian b Ten Doeschate 28
M A G Boyce c Westley b Ten Doeschate 41
H D Ackerman lbw b Ten Doeschate 112
H H Dippenaar c Foster b Bopara 64
M N Malik c sub b Ten Doeschate 19
J Allenby c Foster b Palladino 0
P A Nixon not out 92
J du Toit c Middlebrook b Ten Doeschate 4
C W Henderson c Kaneria b Bopara 66
D du Preez run out 1
G J P Kruger lbw b Bopara 1
Extras (b 1, lb 11, w 3, nb 6) 21
Total (153 overs) 449

Fall of wickets: 1-63, 2-82, 3-227, 4-275, 5-278, 6-286, 7-306, 8-442, 9-445.

Bowling: Masters 30-11-55-0; Palladino 20-8-53-1; Tudor 19-4-61-0; Kaneria 33-4-85-0; Ten Doeschate 19-3-58-5; Bopara 13-1-49-3; Middlebrook 15-2-55-0; Westley 4-0-21-0.

Essex: First Innings 164 (M N Malik 6 for 46)
Second Innings
T Westley c Nixon b Du Preez 12
J E R Gallian not out 29
R S Bopara not out 26
Extras (nb 2) 2
Total (1 wkt, 24 overs) 69

Fall of wicket: 1-19

Bowling: Malik 6-2-16-0; Du Preez 7-1-22-1; Kruger 8-3-26-0; Henderson 3-2-5-0.

Umpires: S A Garratt and J W Holder.