ESSEX hopes of enforcing the follow-on in their match with Nottinghamshire at Chelms-ford were thwarted by three visiting batsmen reaching centuries.

It allowed the visitors to end the third day on 579-7, a deficit of only 121 runs, with Chris Read recording his second century of the season against the Essex attack.

The wicket-keeper/batsman hit 161 not out after taking an unbeaten 165 off the Essex attack at Trent Bridge in May. Samit Patel and Mark Wagh also reached three figures as Notts made relentless progress towards the target of 551 to avoid the follow-on.

They resumed yesterday morning on 191-2 with Wagh needing another 19 runs to notch his century, a feat he completed when pulling a delivery from Danish Kaneria, but the leg-spinner was to exact his revenge.

The batsman, on 107, was late down on a full-pitched delivery that knocked back leg stump.

David Hussey strode to the crease and got off the mark with a four. In the next over, Patel sent a delivery from Kaneria over long-off to reach his hundred, having faced 149 balls with two sixes and four fours. But having advanced his personal score onto 117, he executed a loose drive to the medium pace of Ravinder Bopara and edged behind the wicket to leave Notts 296-4 wickets.

The new ball was taken on 80 overs and Hussey went about spoiling the new cherry with three successive boundaries off Alex Tudor.

His frolics ended shortly afterwards with his score on 36, when Andy Bichel induced him to nibble outside off stump to give James Foster his second catch of the innings.

While the morning session had produced 155 runs and three wickets, the post lunch segment remained barren for the bowlers as their opponents edged another 111 runs towards saving the follow-on, with Read going to tea just four runs short of becoming the sixth player in the match to reach a ton.

He reached the milestone in impressive fashion, smiting Middlebrook for a straight six and, with Mark Ealham securing a watchful half-century, Essex hopes of making Notts bat again were rapidly disappearing.

Their spirits received a welcome lift when, having added 155 with Read in 51 overs, Ealham missed an attempted sweep at Middlebrook and was adjudged leg before for 54 with the score on 498 and three runs later, the seventh wicket fell.

Paul Franks was undone by a delivery from Kaneria that turned hitting him on the back pad.

But that was the last reward for the home side with Notts eased past the follow-on figure with Read striking three successive boundaries in one over from Ryan ten Doeschate taking the batsman past 150.

By the close, Read had batted for almost 5 hours and faced 253 deliveries that included 20 boundaries - four of those sixes - whilst Graeme Swann had contributed 37 in an unbroken stand that has realised 78 runs thus far.

Kaneria was the pick of the nine Essex bowlers with 3-153, although his work rate could be taking its toll with the bowler reportedly set to undergo a scan on his back last night.

>Wickford Cricket Club will host the Essex 2nd XI today.

The county's reserve team will take on Nottinghamshire 2nd XI in a 50-overs-a-side one-day match at the Patmore Memorial Sports Ground, in Runwell Road.

Admission to the game, which starts at 11am, is free.