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Wicketkeeper Michael Pepper equalled the Essex record for most County Championship dismissals in a match but his side will need 405 runs to beat Durham on the final day.
Pepper’s four catches and a stumping in the second innings took his tally for the match to nine.
Paul Walter completed the second century of his career but Matthew Potts’ exceptional fast bowling gave Durham a 248-run first-innings lead as the hosts were dismissed for 339 at Chelmsford.
Jamie Porter picked up three scalps to take him to 32 wickets this season, with Simon Harmer claiming four before Durham declared their second innings on 188-8.
Captain Scott Borthwick led the way with 71 as they set Essex 433 to win in a minimum of 107 overs.
In the 11 overs before stumps, Potts dismissed Nick Browne as the hosts reached 28-1.
Matt Critchley slapped to mid-off having failed to settle in the morning but Walter continued with a lovely array of drives to reach a 146-ball century.
Potts had already accounted for Browne and Jordan Cox before beating Pepper and Walter for pace to end up with a season-best 4-71.
Shane Snater drove to cover, Simon Harmer edged a ball that kept low and Eathan Bosch skewed to short third to leave Essex 248 runs in arrears.
But Porter found a subtle amount of nip away to find Alex Lees’ outside edge first ball of the Durham innings, and then dipped in to feather Michael Jones’ bat in the seventh over.
Harmer got his wicket by teasing David Bedingham with a flighty delivery and Matt Critchley had first-innings centurion Ollie Robinson chasing a wider ball, before Porter returned to castle Colin Ackermann.
Borthwick’s vigil was ended by Harmer and then Ben Raine slog-swept into the deep two balls later.
Pepper stumped Bas de Leede to bring about the declaration, to join Kenneth Gibson, David East and James Foster as the only Essex keepers to affect nine wickets in a match.
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