Essex, looking to go top of the Division One table, were pushed back in their pursuit of a third consecutive win as bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire staged a second-innings fightback in the Rothesay County Championship at Uptonsteel Grace Road.

After following on 214 runs behind, the heavily-depleted home side were still 30 in arrears when Joey Evison became their fifth second-innings casualty half an hour after lunch.

But after Lewis Hill and Ben Cox resisted for more than two hours in a sixth-wicket partnership of 90, Leicestershire closed on 326 for 7 with a lead of 112. Seamer Shane Snater was the pick of the Essex bowlers with 3 for 64, with offspinner Simon Harmer taking 2 for 98 from 41 overs.

Leicestershire openers Rishi Patel and debutant Sheridon Gumbs had earlier put on 96 before Patel’s departure began a collapse to 184 for 5.

Victory here would be enough for Tom Westley’s side to claim top spot at the halfway stage of the competition if both Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire fail to chase down big fourth-innings targets in their matches.

Essex’s first-innings double-centurion Jordan Cox will not bat in the second innings after being asked to join up with England ahead of Wednesday’s second Test against New Zealand. Michael Pepper has come in as a substitute to take the gloves in place of wicketkeeper-batter Cox.

Leicestershire, who had been asked to follow on late on Saturday after scoring 187 in reply to Essex’s first-innings 401, resumed on 51 without loss and were having a relatively good third morning until Patel’s demise. The former Essex batter had passed fifty for the fifth time this season but succumbed to a delivery from Snater that flattened his middle stump as he tried to defend.

Gumbs, on his first-class debut, fell making room to cut Harmer but built on the good impression he left after his first innings.

He is only 22 yet embraces the old fashioned virtues of patience and application which, allied to a sound technique and calm demeanour, should serve him well. He grew in confidence, reeling off several classically pleasing shots among his eight boundaries until the wily Harmer bowled him with a delivery that kept a shade low, denying the left-hander what would have been a well-deserved half-century.

Second-wicket partner Rehan Ahmed offered a pat on the back as Gumbs departed but wasn’t long following him in, missing a sweep to be leg before.

Leicestershire’s hopes now seemed to rest with New Zealand international Nick Kelly, their sole source of sustained counterattack in the first innings, but after a couple of flashes of aggressive intent, including a straight six off Harmer, he played round one from Jamie Porter to fall on 19 at 166 for 4 in what felt like a big moment. Leicestershire still trailed by 48.

Yet resistance followed as Cox joined Hill, the sixth-wicket pair initially facing spin from both ends as Matt Critchley joined Harmer in the attack, ensuring Essex would need to bat a second time before the new ball was taken at 219 for 5 after 80 overs, and surviving six overs of Porter and Snater before reaching tea at 244 for 5, 30 in front.

The breakthrough Essex craved came 11 overs into the final session as Cox dragged one on against Snater, with skiddy low bounce a factor again. But Hill, who had reached his fifty from 173 balls after almost three-and-a-half hours at the crease, found another resilient partner in stand-in skipper Ben Green as the pair stretched Leicestershire’s advantage by another 50 before the latter was leg before to a full delivery from third seamer Charlie Bennett.