Well, it looks as though Essex have taken pity on their visitors after all.

Tom Westley calls the batters in at the end of that Jaydn Denly over, with Matt Critchley finishing 151 not out and Shane Snater unbeaten on 26 from 18 balls.

Kent's tired bowlers will be hoping to put their feet up for a while as the top order set about replying to this daunting Essex total.

Martin Emmerson
BBC Radio Newcastle

Alex Davies' impressive innings has come to an end, bowled by spinner Callum Parkinson on 256, at the end of the 111th over. He opened the batting yesterday morning.

Davies faced 311 balls. His opening stand of 343 with Rob Yates was Warwickshire's highest on this ground. His second wicket stand, with Will Rhodes, looked set to be a new record against Durham for The Bears, but it ended on 219.

That's the same total Ian Westwood and Kumar Sangakkara put on for the second wicket at The Riverside in 2007. Durham won that one though! By nine wickets. I don't think that will be happening this time, however.

Parkinson has become the 18th Durham bowler to go for more than 150 runs, but he's bowled the majority of overs. Shortly after dismissing Davies, he also bowled Ed Barnard for one. He has taken 2-172 in 34 overs.

Image source, Rex Features

For the first time in his career, Matt Critchley has 150 to his name.

Fantastic effort by the Essex all-rounder, who turns Jaydn Denly for a single to get there from 211 balls and there's no let-up as he and Shane Snater continue to put Kent's bowlers to the sword.

Melinda Farrell
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

Alex Davies should be incredibly proud of that effort.

As much as the stamina of the mind as well as the body, he kept his concentration.

But on that occasion Callum Parkinson was able to get through and he has been finding a bit of purchase and a little bit of turn today.

It's some much needed encouragement for Durham, it's been really tough going out there for them.

Shane Snater's mission, it's fair to say, is to throw the bat.

He's just belted Jaydn Denly to the mid-on fence to bring up the 500 for Essex, having smashed a boundary off Nathan Gilchrist in the previous over.

Snater has 14 from his first 12 balls, while Matt Critchley has now equalled the highest first-class score of his career - the 137 he struck early on in his Derbyshire career nine years ago.

Image source, Rex Features

James Fuller is offering good support to Liam Dawson and together they have seen the innings go past 350 and reach a third batting point.

Dawson is on 86, only 14 shy of a century.

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Not a great over from Adam Finch, who concedes 13 including three boundaries and the third of them, struck by Calvin Harrison, takes Notts past 350 with a couple of overs to spare before the cut-off.

Harrison moves on to 41, his best score in first-class cricket, while Lyndon James has 66.

A 10th first-class century of his career for Will Rhodes.

And with all due respect, surely one of his easiest as he tucks away a single from Callum Parkinson.

Migael Pretorius drops short and Rory Burns rocks back with real authority to hit it for four through the legside.

Ben Raine is a little short and Alex Davies does no more than caress it just past point to the short boundary for the 26th four of his innings.

More significantly, it marks his 250 off 305 balls. The question is how many more he fancies scoring.

Calvin Harrison is on the front foot against Joe Leach, pummelling the Worcestershire seamer to the midwicket boundary to bring up a century stand with Lyndon James.

Great effort by this seventh-wicket pair, who have put the Notts innings back on track after a mini-slump yesterday afternoon.

Harrison is 33 not out, with James on 61.

Alex Davies picks up the easiest single imaginable off Callum Parkinson and ambles through to clock up the 200 partnership between him and Will Rhodes.

It has taken 279 deliveries and Warwickshire are on for a frighteningly big score!

You can't bowl there to any decent batter!

Migael Pretorius spears one down leg and Dom Sibley guides it down for four. It's given as leg-byes, but that is the century stand for him and Rory Burns.

Somerset are convinced that Migael Pretorius has Dom Sibley caught behind. Decisively, umpire Richard Kettleborough is not.

Sibley survives that and sprints through for a single off the next over from Kasey Aldridge to bring up a half century.

A first of the summer and off 85 balls. Not quite Bazball, but that is good stuff from the opener, a nice mix of attack and defence.

Image source, Rex Features

Essex have their fifth batting bonus point in the bag and they get there in style, with Simon Harmer pulling Nathan Gilchrist to the boundary.

It was Gilchrist's first delivery of the morning after coming on to replace Wes Agar as Kent's bowlers continue to strive in vain for the breakthrough.

George Garrett took some punishment earlier as well, with Matt Critchley depositing him over mid-wicket for six.