Kent were indebted to the weather for securing their 10th draw of the LV= County Championship Division 2 season after a stuttering performance against Essex.

Essex were poised for victory after skittling the hosts for 107 in just 49 overs on the second day, before bad weather ensured just 62 overs were possible on days three and four with Kent on the brink of a third big home defeat of the season.

Essex had ensured a first-innings lead of 167, despite Mark Davies having dismissed Jaik Mickleburgh (0) with just the third ball of the match.

Owais Shah hit 84 and Ben Foakes 58, with skipper James Foster adding 46 to steer the visitors from 74-3 past 200.

They were eventually dismissed for 274 on day two with in-form Davies claiming 4-67 and two wickets apiece for Adam Riley, Darren Stevens and Charlie Shreck.

Then came the Kent collapse, from 22-0 off seven overs to 107 all-out, with former Kent bowler David Masters their tormentor-in-chief with 6-41 in 18 tough overs.

Ben Harmison showed gritty resistance to bat for more than two and a half hours for his unbeaten 30, but Daniel Bell-Drummond, Brendan Nash, Stevens, Calum Haggett, Riley, Davies and Shreck all departed for single figures.

They managed to see out the final 10 overs of the second day without further loss, reaching 8-0 overnight.

Kent went into the final day on 113-4, still 54 runs behind, with only Sam Northeast (70 not out) avoiding the succession of wickets on the third afternoon.

However he was trapped LBW by Reece Topley without adding to his overnight score and only 67 from Stevens, dogged batting from Haggett and Davies and the weather saw them avert the prospect of a heavy loss.

The six points took Kent third-bottom ahead of Tuesday’s trip to second-placed Northamptonshire.