A battling 150 by Essex's winter recruit Matthew Walker ensured first-innings honours finished even in their second division basement battle against Middlesex.

Essex reached 345 to concede an 11-run deficit but there was still time for Middlesex to start their second innings.

With 21 overs remaining, struggling Middlesex would have wanted to push on and build on their slender lead but a dramatic six-over burst by Pakistan wrist spinner Danish Kaneria left the hosts reeling on 47 for three at the close, an advantage of 58 going into the final day.

Kaneria, introduced at the Nursery End after 11 overs, struck in his second over by having first-inning century-maker Sam Robson (12) caught at slip by Alastair Cook off a regulation leg-spinner.

In his next over Kaneria trapped Nick Compton leg before with a fiendish top-spinner that rushed on to the right-hander before his backfoot defensive stroke had been completed to send him packing for 13.

Then, two overs from the close, Kaneria bamboozled left-hander Eoin Morgan with another leg-spinner that turned out of the left-hander's off-stump rough to snare him leg before when shouldering arms.

Should Kaneria prove such a handful on Friday, Middlesex will do well to avoid their fourth defeat in 11 starts.

Yet when the day started, with Essex still batting on 107 for four, it was the visitors who were seemingly under the cosh as they trailed by 249 and needed a further 100 to avoid following on.

The away side's concerns were eventually calmed, albeit at a rate of only three-an-over, by a stoic fifth-wicket stand between Walker and James Foster (72) who added 163 in batting on until after lunch.

Foster hit only nine fours in his 178-ball stay but blotted his copybook in the over after the interval when he called for a suicidal single to cover to be run out by Nick Compton's throw to the bowler's end where Murali Kartik whipped off the bails.

Walker marched on to his second championship ton in three starts for Essex from 256 balls and with 15 fours, but was still hungry enough to continue the innings into a seventh hour to reach 150 for the eighth time in his 16-year career - the milestone coming from 336 balls.

Four balls later the diminutive left-hander was taking the plaudits from the members in the Lord's Pavilion after his attempted slog sweep against Murali Kartik picked out Compton on the ropes at deep-mid wicket.

Kartik duly ran through the tail to finish with three for 55, but the Middlesex bowling honours went to right-arm seam and swing bowler Tim Murtagh who caused headaches to the entire Essex top-order in returning figures of six for 84.