County Championship D1, Chelmsford (day three, close): Kent 381 & 278-5; Essex 514Mark Ealham led a determined middle-order recovery by Kent after Jamie Middlebrook and Graham Napier had raised the spectre of a three-day win for Essex.
It was a day that never really sparked into life for the home side after they added just 91 from their last five wickets in the morning.
Nasser Hussain converted his overnight 192 into 206 before being trapped lbw by Ealham.
By then he had lost Middlebrook for 39 and there was no dramatic hitting from the tail with Mohammad Sami taking the last two wickets.
The combination of Middlebrook's off-spin and Napier's medium pace swing seemed to be doing the trick when Kent were reduced to 28-2 and 108-4.
But Ealham (85 not out) and Matthew Walker (65) put on 127 for the sixth wicket.
Essex need a good first session on Monday to retain any victory ambitions now with the visitors leading by 145.
Essex: D D J Robinson, N Hussain, A Flower, A Habib, R C Irani (Capt), J S Foster (Wkt), J D Middlebrook, G R Napier, J E Bishop, S A Brant, J B Grant.
Kent: D P Fulton (Capt), M A Carberry, E T Smith, A Symonds, M J Walker, M A Ealham, G O Jones (Wkt), J C Tredwell, Mohammad Sami, A Sheriyar, B J Trott.
MMIX
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