LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Trent Bridge:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY THREE: Essex 329 & 152-2, Nottinghamshire 217
(Essex 6 pts, Notts 4 pts)
Match scorecard

Steven Mullaney joined Notts from Lancashire at the end of last season

Steven Mullaney added a half-century to the four wickets he took on day two to drag Nottinghamshire past the follow-on mark on day three against Essex.

Resuming on 33-2 in response to Essex's 329, the hosts slipped to 88-6.

But Mullaney (53) shared a seventh-wicket stand of 101 at Trent Bridge with captain Chris Read (52) before Notts were bowled out for 217.

Essex then moved to 152-2 before the close, a lead of 264, and will still be hoping to claim victory on day four.

They will still have Ravi Bopara (57) and Matt Walker (46), who shared an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 82, at the crease on the final morning.

For Bopara, part of England's winning ICC World Twenty20 squad, it is his first half-century of the season.

Earlier a pre-lunch slump saw Notts lose four wickets for 23 runs before Read and Mullaney counter-attacked after the break.

Read hit six fours and two sixes and Mullaney bludgeoned eight boundaries as their century stand came in just 109 deliveries.

But when Mullaney edged Maurice Chambers (3-63) to third slip and Read fell to David Masters (4-48), Notts needed a 17-ball 23 from Paul Franks to earn their solitary batting point.

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