Championship lower divisions round-up: Darren Stevens hits ton as Kent and Essex complete three-day wins

Darren Stevens made the 36th first-class century of his career

Essex beat Glamorgan by an innings and Kent beat Leicestershire as both enjoyed County Championship away wins inside three days.

The ageless Darren Stevens hit a fine ton as Kent ended this year's winless Championship run, while a division higher in Division Two, Essex wrapped it up in under an hour.

Also in Division Two, Northamptonshire are in trouble in Bristol on 92-7.

But Gloucestershire still trail by 228 going into day four.

Ryan Higgins had earlier led a day of Gloucestershire fightback with both bat and ball.

After recovering from 90-6 overnight to save the follow-on and reach 191, Higgins claimed three scalps for 26, while Tom Price took 2-22 as the visitors ended the day with only three lives left.

Essex had earlier completed their comprehensive innings win over Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens in 32 minutes as the hosts lost their last four wickets to leave Chris Cooke stranded on 47.

Essex fast bowler Sam Cook finished with 5-37, while Jamie Porter took 3-35 as the about-to-be-deposed champions made up for last month's One-Day Cup semi-final defeat by the same opponents.

Division Three

Aside from Darren Stevens' century, Matt Milnes took a career-best 6-53 as Kent beat Leicestershire.

After 45-year-old Stevens had completed a superb unbeaten ton against his former county to leave the hosts needing an unlikely 386 to win, Leicestershire slumped to 20-6 at lunch.

But Ben Mike hit 70 off 52 balls to set off a vigorous wag of the tail, in which Ed Barnes matched him with an unbeaten 70 and Will Davis made career-best 42 as the last four wickets added 233 before Kent wrapped it up.

Bad light ended play early at New Road for the third day running with Sussex in control against Worcestershire.

After taking the last three Pears wickets for 27, Sussex bowled out their hosts for 213 to earn a first-innings lead of 51.

Home skipper Joe Leach then steamed in to take three wickets in 14 balls, including Tom Haines and Harrison Ward in successive deliveries, as Sussex were reduced to 3-3.

But the Sussex youngsters rallied to close on 199-6, thanks to half-centuries from eye-catching pair Ali Orr, his second of the match, and teenager Dan Ibrahim, who followed up his first innings 48 with 56 not out.

Orr, who hit a One-Day Cup ton here at New Road in early August, has now hit 217 runs in three innings against the Pears on this ground.

At Lord's, Middlesex paceman Ethan Bamber took the last Derbyshire wicket to record a career-best 5-41 as the visitors were bowled out for 205 to trail by 77 on innings.

But, thanks to a last-wicket stand of 58 between Toby Roland-Jones and Tim Murtagh, Derbyshire now need the fifth-highest successful run chase in their history.

The two pacemen helped the hosts to 256 all out, a lead of 333, Alex Thomson taking 3-71.

Murtagh then removed Luis Reece as Derbyshire limped to 42-1 before bad light intervened.

Day Three Scoreboards

Division Two

Cardiff: Glamorgan 134 (Snater 6-39, Harmer 3-46) and 112 (Cooke 47*, S Cook 5-37, Porter 5-35), Essex 320 (Browne 102, Pepper 63, Snater 48; Reingold 3-15, Carey 3-56). Essex won by an innings and 74 runs.

Bristol: Northants 327 (Rossington 94, Gay 44, Gouldstone 43; Price 4-72) and 92-7 (Higgins 3-26), Gloucestershire 191 (Van Buuren 56; Procter 5-42, Sanderson 3-39).

Division Three

New Road: Sussex 264 (Carson 87, Orr 52, Leach 5-68) and 199-6 (Orr 57, Ibrahim 56*, Baker 3-31, Leach 3-44), Worcestershire 213 (Haynes 47, Crocombe 3-44).

Lord's: Middlesex 282 (White 120, Andersson 53, Conners 3-65) and 256 (Robson 52, Holden 44, Andersson 42, Thomson 3-71), Derbyshire 205 (Du Plooy 90, Dal 48; Bamber 5-41, Murtagh 4-60).

Leicester: Kent 232 (Leaning 75*, Crawley 50; Parkinson 4-68, Wright 3-59) and 262 (Stevens 107*, Parkinson 5-75, Barnes 3-57), Leicestershire 109 (Logan 3-8, Stewart 3-20, Milnes 3-24) and 253 (Barnes 70*, Mike 70). Kent won by 132 runs.