Rain hurts Lancashire chances AGAIN!

Day 4: Only 27 deliveries were bowled on the final day, with the only action of note being Glen Chapple bowling Andy Flower for 16. The visitors added just one run to their overnight toal.

The result leaves Lancashire on four draws out of four in the Championship, despite only dropping two batting points all season.

Day 3: No play due to rain means that Essex are in with a chance of salvaging a draw on the final day of this game.

Day 2: After resuming in a strong position, Lancashire's Iain Sutcliffe went on to complete his first hundred for the County, with 109 from 288 balls, and Mark Chilton then followed that with 106 from 203 balls, including 8 fours and 2 sixes.

Carl Hooper, on debut, managed just 8 before being caught by Middlebrook off the bowling of Grayson.

Before the close Lancs managed to add to the presure by taking two further wickets, falling to Anderson and Peter Martin before Andy Flower and Nasser Hussain guided the visitors to 41-2 at the close.

Lancashire will be hoping to take the final 8 wickets tomorrow and ensure a small target is set, hopefully completing the first Championship win of the season for a side that has deserved better than three draws from three games.

Day 1: James Anderson's hat-trick dominated the day in which Lancashire started brilliantly once again, and it seems that only another stretch of bad weather can cost them their first win of the season against Essex.

Only James Foster's 57 offered any resistance, but new signing Carl Hooper had him caught by Anderson as the visitors were bowled out for 215 having won the toss.