Image source, Rex Features

Matt Critchley's top-spinner is too much for Matt Parkinson, who is leg-before, and that is the final action at the Spitfire Ground as injured Wes Agar will not come out to bat for Kent.

Simon Harmer finished with 4-32, while paceman Shane Snater (3-15) set things moving at the start of play by having England's Zak Crawley lbw for one.

A great result for Essex, whose attack was one short with Sam Cook unable to bowl and the 21 points earned puts them just two behind leaders Surrey ahead of the month-long Championship break.

Kent remain in the bottom two and must now regroup and try to produce a strong second half of the campaign to stave off the prospect of relegation.

Image source, BBC Sport

The Bears declare and we're on for a 3.15pm start.

Tea already has been taken.

Could be an exciting finish.

44 overs remain. Lancashire require 232 to win.

Jordan Thompson is into the attack and is welcomed by Ricardo Vasconcelos who pushes his first ball back past the bowler to the boundary.

The opener collects another single, bringing Luke Procter on strike.

Thompson strays down legside and clips Procter's pad for four leg byes.

Nine from the over and Northants reach 50 in the ninth over.

A good take by Aaron Beard but Joe Denly's patience finally snaps and he goes for the big shot off Simon Harmer.

We saw him depositing a couple of sixes yesterday but this time he's teed it up straight to Beard at mid-on.

Although he got a polite round of applause for his efforts, he knows that he's slightly given away his wicket there.

Sussex's impenetrable off-side ring is not impenetrable.

Henry Brookes forced a ball from Fynn Hudson-Prentice away for four.

He is 28 not out.

Spin from both ends as Ed Middleton and Ollie Price get set for a good stint of bowling each, saving the seamers for games where more points are up for grabs.

4.50pm handshake for the draw very much on the cards still here.

Ricardo Vasconcelos has to get his skates on again.

He thinks a well-timed on-drive off George Hill is boundary-bound and ambles down the pitch.

But Shan Masood pulls the ball back and th Northants opener belts up and down the wicket for three.

Hill then responds with a beauty which swings back in to Luke Procter who gets his bat out of the way just in time.

Northants get safely through another over. Five from it.

We can't paint it any other way other way than a game that is heading towards a draw.

A top of the table clash which many were looking forward to, there was a big crowd here on the first day but a pitch that has just got flatter and flatter as the game has gone along.

In many ways I feel a bit sorry for the players, it's not really a surface to show your skills.

Fair play to Sussex at least their keeping some of their main bowlers on but I think it is a shame.

So close.

Matt Critchley just misses the outside edge of fellow leggie Matt Parkinson's bat, having been brought back into the attack in place of Shane Snater.

We now have two slips fielding on their knees. Surely it's almost impossible to dive from that position?

We're back under way at Northampton and Yorkshire are almost gifted a wicket in the first over back.

Luke Procter takes a four from the first ball back from Vishwa Fernando and then drives a full ball from the fifth.

They set off for a quick single but it's well stopped at cover and Ricardo Vasconcelos would have been well out of his ground had the throw hit.

Four byes come off George Hill's first ball back and then Luke Procter picks up two more.

Is the chase still on? Surely not - they'd need more than eight an over now.

Chris Cooke could do with spending a long time at the crease.

Apart from one occasion he has not got to 30 this season.

Middlesex are now into the 169th over of their innings - four more than they bowled to Sussex.

As if to underline the slightly unreal 'feel' at Lord's, Sussex have been operating with a 9-1 field.

A second rain stoppage at Grace Road as the dark clouds arrive at the ground.

It's heavy but we don't expect a long delay. We will lose overs straightaway so the draw is looking inevitable.

Sam Northeast (33 not out) and Chris Cooke (20) have moved Glamorgan to 132-4 - a lead of 176.

Image source, Rex Features

Good news for Lancashire fans.

We are hearing that James Anderson is expected to play in the two Championship games at the end of next month - away to Kent and against Nottinghamshire at Southport.

They will give the 41-year-old a chance to 'get into the groove' ahead of his farewell Test appearance against West Indies the following month.

The umpires have given in to the inevitable and abandoned the game as a draw with no play possible on day four.

They have decided that it won't be possible to get the ground fit to play today after several rain showers.

Only one day was play was possible but Notts had the better of it, skittling the hosts for 80 and then closing day two on 234-3.

Notts will take 11 points from the draw, while Worcestershire take nine.

Joe Denly flashes at a wide one angled across him from Shane Snater but makes no contact.

Just a single for Matt Parkinson in that over.

Play will resume at 2.55pm - we've lost 14 overs to that latest downpour.

Maybe that has taken the sting out of what looked like an exciting finale?

There are now 47.4 overs remaining in the day.

This is the partnership that frustrated Essex yesterday - Matt Parkinson and Joe Denly.