A combination of 18-year-old debutant Jaydn Denly and bad weather scuppered Essex’s hopes of recording back-to-back Vitality County Championship wins and extending their lead at the top of the table.

The all-rounder with the famous Kentish name stood firm for 128 balls on a rain-interrupted final day at Chelmsford to prevent Essex wrapping up a second win of the season after they had Kent on the ropes at 65-5.

Essex seamer Jamie Porter (4-20) blitzed a hole in the Kent top order before Jaydn Denly joined forces with uncle Joe in a sixth-wicket stand that ate up 16 overs while putting on 51 runs. Denly junior grew in confidence on both sides of a rain break just as the final hour was called, and finished on 41 not out in Kent’s 164-7.

Essex had declared for the second time in the match on their overnight 257-4 with Jordan Cox unbeaten on 116 after his pyrotechnics of the previous evening. That set Kent 375 to win, initially adjusted because of earlier rain to 76 overs, then 64 after the morning session was abandoned following another cloudburst.

Kent’s batsmen donned black armbands to mark the passing of their former England spinner Derek Underwood, whose death at 78 was announced during the lunch interval.

Essex’s quest got off to a flying start in Porter’s second over when Twanda Muyeye failed to withdraw his bat in time and edged an inswinger to the wicketkeeper.

Ben Compton batted throughout Kent’s first innings for 165, but he lasted just 22 balls second time around for six runs. He had just steered Porter past point for a boundary when he misjudged the next ball and was lbw.

Porter might have sent back Jack Leaning first ball, but Simon Harmer at second slip dropped an edge to his left hand. However, Harmer made amends when Kent’s other first-innings centurion, Daniel Bell-Drummond, went to sweep and was lbw for 18.

Leaning’s reprieve lasted another 22 balls before he prodded forward inconclusively to Shane Snater and lost his off-stump. Harry Finch became Matt Critchley’s sixth wicket in the match and another batsman trapped on his crease.

Joe Denly showed aggressive intent when he twice advanced down the wicket and deposited Harmer over long leg for sixes. He was joined in the middle by Jaydn Denly, the rookie known as ‘NOJ’ (Nephew Of Joe).

The younger Denly rode his luck early on against Harmer and Critchley before rocking on to the back foot to ease the latter through the covers for his first four. When their partnership reached fifty, from 88 balls, there was an equal split in contributions. But almost immediately Porter returned to the attack and had Denly senior whipping the ball off his legs into the hands of Feroze Khushi at bat-pad.

Wes Agar drove Porter uppishly to become the seventh and last wicket to fall.

Essex Head Coach Anthony McGrath said: “I think yesterday was our best day of cricket so far this season. First of all to bowl them out on a pretty flat and benign pitch and getting nine wickets and then batting the way we did was outstanding.

“We wanted to try and bowl at them the whole day today and we didn’t think we would be quite as many ahead as we were last night. That was mainly due to the way that Jordan Cox played, he was absolutely magnificent. I think the last 15 overs last night, we got about 160 runs through him and Pepps (Michael Pepper).

“It was just a shame that we didn’t have the opportunity of bowling at them all day today. You never know in April with the English weather, we thought the weather might have passed through by 11am which would have given us the full 96 overs but we lost that first session.

“The pitch this week never gave the bowlers much assistance so it was always going to be tough but the lads created chances to get them seven down. I think having to come off when we did just coming into that last hour killed our momentum a little bit, we were really on a roll at that point.

“But look, it’s April and you expect these kinds of things with the weather at this time.  Overall, I think we have been superb this week. I’m really proud of the guys, they never give in, they are really resilient and they give everything.”

Kent’s Jaydn Denly hit 41 not out to deny Essex and said: “It was just a case of staying patient and taking it ball by ball and getting the clock down.

“It was a great experience. I’ve never faced world-class spinners in Harmer, and obviously Critchley as well who took a five-fer in the first innings. It was tough, but a good experience. I just focused on the next ball and wasn’t listening to what was going on around me. As long as I was playing the ball, playing the line, I was all right.

“It was nice batting with Joe. I’ve never really batted with him before, so that was great. A nice 50-run partnership, it definitely took out some overs which was what we needed. I can’t remember what he said to me now. He was probably just telling me to stay focused, focus on the next ball and keep on playing the way I was playing.

“It has been really surreal. I wasn’t really expecting it [my debut] to come this week. I was expecting to stay in the twos. But it’s always great to make your debut as early as possible and hopefully I can keep pushing the first team.

“My dad hasn’t made it here for the last three days, but I know he will have been watching it on the stream with my granddad, so that’s all good.”