Essex started the day needing to hang around for six full sessions but were already in trouble after losing two wickets in the first six overs of their second innings the previous evening.

They lost a third 17 balls into the morning when the second nightwatchman, Charlie Bennett, drove O’Neill loosely to backward point

Elgar survived a torrid examination from Olly Stone, often forced on to the back foot and defending low over his bat.

Consequently, the majority of the South African’s eight fours in a 76-ball knock came against O’Neill or Patterson-White, driven purposefully through extra cover or mid-wicket.

Elgar had received the benefit of an appeal when it was felt he gloved O’Neill behind the night before and half-walked until realising the umpire’s finger had not moved.

Therefore, Stone’s frustration and irritation were clearly evident throughout and particularly in the celebration when he tucked up Elgar again and received a positive lbw decision. Elgar departed reluctantly.

Patterson-White had been introduced into the attack after three-quarters of an hour, but it took until his 12th over for him to strike for the seventh time in the match.

Tom Westley had dug in doggedly for 96 minutes before getting a thick edge to a turning ball that landed in slip’s hands. Patterson-White equalled his best match haul of eight wickets when Matt Critchley nicked behind.

That united the former England Under-19 team-mates Allison and Benkenstein for a partnership that held up Nottinghamshire for 20 overs. They were generally watchful, but Allison twice launched occasional off-spinner Freddie McCann for two huge sixes in reaching his third half-century of the season.

However, Patterson-White claimed his third wicket of the innings as Allison played down the wrong line and was lbw. When Michael Pepper was caught in the slips for 0 soon after off Lyndon James, Essex were still 98 runs short of making Nottinghamshire bat again.

Benkenstein and Harmer ate into the deficit in a breezy 39-run stand but both became victims of O’Neill, who took his figures to 5-39.

Essex have two months to lick their wounds before their next red-ball fixture, against Somerset at Taunton. Nottinghamshire, meanwhile, will hope no momentum is lost before they head to The Kia Oval.

Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.