Kent still have work to do as a defiant rearguard from Joe Clarke and Lyndon James gave Nottinghamshire hope of avoiding defeat in their LV= Insurance County Championship Division 1 match at Canterbury after they were forced to follow-on.

The visitors ended day three 177-5 in their second innings, which is a deficit of only four runs, after Clarke and James batted through the entire evening session to finish unbeaten on 61 and 38, respectively, at stumps.

Kent’s Michael Hogan, 42, said: “Obviously for us, being in the field for five-and-a-half sessions, that’s been a heck of a shift from the boys.

“We spoke about it today that, when we sent them back in, there’s going to be partnerships. It’s a good wicket, offering a bit of spin, and there’s some good players out there.

“Joe Clarke did quite well. It’s hard graft but, at the moment, we would rather be in our position than theirs.

“There’s still a lot of work to do tomorrow but we’re in a nice spot.”

Aron Nijjar had earlier claimed career-best figures of 4-67 as the visitors were bowled out for 265 in their first innings.

Hogan and Joey Evison got among the wickets after Kent asked Nottinghamshire to bat again but, having reduced the visitors to 78-5, they were frustrated in a wicket-less evening session.

The visitors began day three 219-8, a deficit of 227 runs, but with the weather forecast looking ominous, Brett Hutton and Dane Paterson hung around for 40 potentially crucial minutes against Nijjar and Yuzvendra Chahal (3-63), adding just 10 to the overnight score.

Yet having taken 14 overs out of the game, Paterson started to hit out and he skied Nijjar to Jack Leaning, who took his fifth catch of the innings. That last-wicket duo managed to bat out a further 10 overs.

Asitha Fernando didn't come with a huge reputation as a batsman but he made an entertaining 14 not out which included a six off Nijjar over cow corner.

With the follow-on target dwindling, Nathan Gilchrist (1-65) was handed the new ball midway through the 97th over and had Hutton caught behind for 31 with the second ball of the 99th.

By now, the skies were looking leaden and Kent immediately told the umpires they wanted Notts to bat again.

After six overs of resistance, Hogan (3-23) produced an in-swinger which splayed Haseeb Hameed's middle and leg stumps, bowling him for seven, but although Notts were 20-1 at lunch, after it Steven Mullaney and Ben Slater looked largely unthreatened until rain forced the teams from the field at 1.58pm.

Despite a 38-minute delay, Kent were so far ahead of the over rate only an over was lost and Evison (2-24) duly transformed the mood at The Spitfire Ground with two wickets in three balls.

He broke the partnership when he tempted Mullaney into a pull, caught on the backward square leg boundary by substitute Arafat Bhuiyan. Slater inexplicably then drove Evison straight to Hogan at mid-off.

It was then Hogan's turn to take two wickets in an over.

He bowled Matt Montgomery for six and, three balls later, he had Tom Moores caught at first slip thanks to a stunning one-handed grab by Zak Crawley.

The visitors had slumped from 63-1 to 87-5 at tea but Clarke and James looked far more at ease after the resumption, offering few chances and steadily eroding Kent's lead.

Clarke hit a Nijjar (0-47) full toss for four to pass 50 in the final scheduled over, although, to confusion around the ground, play continued where a few desultory overs followed.