Steven Croft achieved his second century of the season as the Lancashire captain guided his side to their full allocation of batting points on Day Three against Essex.
The Red Rose skipper made 122, his highest score of the season, sharing a 144-run stand with James Faulkner (68) before a cameo from Arron Lilley - who hit 40 in only 31 balls - ensured that the home side took all five batting points from their rain-affected four-day game at Old Trafford.
Having declared on 404/8, Lancashire then reduced the visitors to 139/5 at close of play, as debutant Toby Lester claimed figures of 2-36 before James Faulkner (3-28) took three wickets in 13 balls to tear through the Essex top order in the evening session.
Nick Browne made a composed 78 not out to relive some of the pressure from Essex, who were of course skittled for 20 all out the last time these two sides met in four-day cricket in 2013, sharing an unbeaten stand worth 68 runs with skipper James Foster (13*).
The rain was a persistent foe once again on the third morning of this match, limiting the amount of play in the first session to 7.2 overs. Lancashire made good progress in the limited time available to them and Croft advanced to a 210-ball century with his 15th boundary, although the players left the field due to rain without bowling another delivery after Croft had reached this milestone.
Croft continued to make good progress after a lengthy rain delay, hitting new-ball bowler Jamie Porter for successive boundaries to take Lancashire to their third batting point. But Croft eventually fell for 122 when he guided a delivery from Reece Topley into the hands of Jaik Mickleburgh at gully, with Lancashire reaching 315/6.
Topley collected figures of 3-90 as he went on to remove Faulkner for 68 when he feathered an edge through to James Foster and the left-arm seamer later collected the wicket of Jordan Clark (15) when he was trapped lbw at 347/8 - Essex's second wicket for one run after a frustrating spell of seven session in the field.
But the misery of the away side was to continue as Lilley's quick fire contribution ensured that Lancashire claimed maximum batting points from a game which has been hundred by rain throughout. Lilley hit five fours and a towering six into the pavilion, as he and Jarvis accumulated 50 runs in only 38 balls, before Jarvis (15) hit the boundary which secured five batting points for Lancashire.
Lancashire declared immediately and were able to put Essex in under incredibly overcast conditions, allowing debutant Lester to claim two wickets in his first nine-over spell for the Lancashire first-team. His first wicket was that of Mickleburgh, who had his middle-stump uprooted by the 22-year-old pace bowler and Lester pegged Liam Dawson's (17) middle peg back after tea, as Essex reached 50/2.
Faulkner then claimed three wickets in 13 deliveries to confirm Lancashire's dominance, removing the potentially dangerous Ravi Bopara for six when the former England all-rounder was caught behind by Alex Davies.
Essex suffered a mini collapse after tea, losing four wickets for 31 runs, as Jesse Ryder (4) drove into the hands of Lilley at point, before Faulkner struck again two balls later, trapping Ryan ten Doeschate lbw for a two-ball duck.
Opening batsman Nick Browne steadied the ship with his fourth half-century of the season, reaching this milestone in 105 balls with eight boundaries, before Croft fumbled a straightforward catch at second slip to dismiss Foster off Faulkner, a drop which could prove costly if Lancashire continue to make good progress with the ball on the final day of this game.
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