Peter Moores pleased as Nottinghamshire draw at defending champions Essex

Dane Paterson reacts during the LV= Insurance County Championship match between Essex and Nottinghamshire. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Getty Images)

Notts fast bowler Brett Hutton, on just his second outing of the season, took five for 65, including his 200th first-class wicket to bowl Essex out for 210 – and give Notts an 83 run first-innings lead.

Ben Slater killed off any potential drama by reaching 19 before bad light, and subsequently rain, ended play at 2.20pm, with the match officially abandoned at 3pm.

Moores said: “If you come to Chelmsford and come away with a draw you are happy. It is a good solid performance by the lads.

“It was setting itself up for a great game of cricket if we hadn’t lost the second day to rain.

“It was difficult to see a way of winning the game at the start of today. We needed to take those wickets quickly and then close the game out with the bat.

“The biggest compliment I can give to Brett is how hard he worked after getting injured. He has come back and shown what he can do well. He created a lot of pressure, made them play a lot and got his rewards.”

Hopes for a positive result had all but been kiboshed by a washed-out second day, along with a pitch which had made scoring slow.

Notts needed 10 morning overs to wrap up the Essex first-innings, with both sides picking up a bonus point – the former for taking nine wickets and the latter for sliding past 200.

After the second new ball was taken an over into the day, Shane Snater and Simon Harmer’s eighth-wicket partnership reach exactly 50 before both fell in consecutive overs.

First, Snater was adjudged leg-before to Hutton, and then Harmer was pinned in front by Luke Fletcher – the burly seamer’s 38th wicket of an impressive campaign.

The innings concluded as Hutton made Sam Cook’s off stump go kerplunk to complete his five-wicket haul, the 10th of his career.

In reply, the visitors had no need nor intention to take any risks as they reached 44 for two before umpires Ian Blackwell and Neil Mallender ended proceedings.

Siddle provided a probing spell with the new ball and was rewarded with the edge to first slip of Ben Compton.

Ben Duckett was bowled by Snater with Slater holding things together for an unbeaten 87-ball 19.