Read's previous best was 165 not out

Chris Read became the first Nottinghamshire wicket-keeper to score a double century in a high-scoring draw with Essex in Division Two.

Read took his overnight score of 161 to 240, hitting 23 fours and eight sixes in his 328-ball stay at the crease.

Graeme Swann fell three short of a century as the visitors reached 791, their highest ever first-class total.

Essex lost the early wicket of skipper Mark Pettini, but Ravi Bopara and Varun Chopra ensured there was no late drama.

Starting the final day still 121 runs behind the hosts' massive first innings total of 700-9 declared, Read and Swann continued their fruitful partnership on a flat wicket.

The pair were closing in on a record eighth-wicket stand for the county, when Swann holed out to James Middlebrook at long-off after they had put on 216 runs together.

Read eventually fell, finding the hands of the same fielder on the square leg boundary, while Robert Ferley finished the innings on 43 not out.

A result never looked likely but Pettini - called up to England's provisional Twenty20 World Cup squad - missed out in both innings.